Germany Depression Barometer: Getting a job with depression

Is your colleague often sad, even though there is no obvious reason for it? Does your colleague seem unfocused and far away in his or her thoughts? Mental illnesses, especially depression, are widespread in the modern, fast-paced world of work and pose major challenges for teams and managers. They can only provide support if they can perceive and classify symptoms of illness. Depression is often an invisible illness and not only has individual effects, but can also have a major impact on the work situation and productivity, as the OECD study shows. Costs of mental illness in Europe in 2015. However, it is still not talked about enough because the topic is fraught with prejudice, stigma and ignorance.

Most common cause of suicide

Statistically, one in five German citizens suffers from depression at least once in their life. In addition to the alarming frequency of the disease, its tragic consequences are also worrying: depression is the main cause of the currently more than 10,000 suicides per year in Germany, as data from the Federal Statistical Office from 2023 show. In addition to the personal suffering of those affected and their relatives, the burden on society as a whole is enormous: As early as 2011, the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung estimated the annual costs for the German economy at 22 billion euros.

Depression is generally easy to treat. However, this requires that the illness is recognized as early as possible. However, not all sufferers receive the treatment they need. Low-threshold counseling services at the workplace can be an important incentive for people to seek help and find treatment that complies with guidelines.

Do not underestimate the role of companies

Some managers will ask themselves: “Why should we take care of healthcare in the company? That’s what doctors are for.” That’s true, but: The mental health of employees is one of the building blocks that contributes to the long-term success of a company. Employees spend a lot of time at work, where colleagues and superiors with the right knowledge and skills can contribute to the early detection of illness. As the DAK Psych Report 2022 shows that company contact points can play an essential role in the early detection of mental illnesses and the further course of the illness. This can be of enormous importance for the individual, but also for the company, since mental illnesses are the second most common reason for incapacity to work, with absences being longer than average at around 39 days. The German Pension Insurance states that, according to the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists, no other illness leads to early retirement for health reasons as often as depression.

A company doctor is required by law and, according to surveys by the Institute for Employment Research, the research institute of the Federal Employment Agency, is present in around 40 percent of German companies. Company social services are mainly available in larger companies, but they cover a large number of employees.

So they do exist, the operational contact points. However, the reality regarding use is sobering, as the Germany Depression Barometer 2021a representative study with more than 5,000 respondents, shows that the majority of respondents did not take advantage of the offers made by companies – so the question arises as to how this discrepancy arises between the contact points that actually exist and the actual use. There are many reasons for this. Among employees affected by depression, only 22 percent stated that their company offers a contact point that they can turn to. Most of those affected said no, either because such facilities are lacking or are considered unsuitable. Even when they do exist, suitable internal help offers are only used by just under a third of those affected.

Fears and prejudices lead to reticence

While the lack of knowledge about company contact points can be addressed relatively easily by publicizing them, the reasons for the low level of utilization despite the awareness of counseling services are more complex. According to the Depression Barometer, many affected people hesitated to open up, which was the biggest obstacle for 59 percent. Other reasons include concern about the company’s reaction to the depression (57 percent), doubts about the effectiveness of the help provided by company contact points (56 percent) and concerns about confidentiality (40 percent). In addition, more than a third feared professional disadvantages if their depression became known. Organizational hurdles such as a lack of knowledge about contact persons (35 percent) exacerbate the situation.

Where people can find help

• The first point of contact if depression or suicidal thoughts are suspected is the family doctor, a psychiatrist or a psychological psychotherapist
• Germany-wide depression information hotline 0800 33 44 5 33 (free of charge)
• Knowledge, self-tests and addresses on the subject of depression: www.deutsche-depressionshilfe.de
• Help and advice from the social psychiatric services of the health authorities
• Professionally moderated online forum for exchanging experiences: www.diskussionsforum-depression.de
• Help for relatives: www.bapk.de and www.familiencoach-depression.de

Positive experiences with offers of help

The study results show that the first step can be worthwhile despite concerns. 78 percent of those surveyed felt relief from the support and 80 percent appreciated the competence of the contact persons. Despite initial concerns, 75 percent had positive experiences, while only seven percent reported negative experiences. In practice, it has also been shown that the path via the company support system can be worthwhile in terms of sustainability: 71 percent of those surveyed received concrete support.

However, some concerns were confirmed: 34 percent did not find the help they were looking for, 28 percent were afraid of professional disadvantages, 23 percent experienced a lack of confidentiality and 46 percent had difficulties adapting to their professional tasks. Given the sensitivity of the topic, these results are therefore not sufficiently satisfactory.

More knowledge and action competence

The results of the barometer show aspects that are already going well with regard to occupational health care, but also underline the major gaps in occupational health care, such as a lack of confidentiality.
Using company contact points is a voluntary offer, which is why non-use of a support offer within the company should be respected. However, there are starting points that companies can specifically address in order to support employees with mental illnesses. Prejudices and fears in particular lead to non-use of offers, which is why a destigmatized corporate culture and a sensitive approach to mental illnesses such as depression are essential. To achieve this, employees, especially those with personnel responsibility, need knowledge and skills to deal with mentally ill employees.

There is also room for improvement in the company contact points themselves, particularly in terms of their trustworthiness. Some companies have already successfully implemented low-threshold counseling and training courses to ensure comprehensive support for employees with mental illnesses.

By providing such contact points, training and promoting a supportive corporate culture, companies can actively contribute to destigmatizing mental illness and encourage those affected to find their way to professional help.

Further articles on the topic:

This article first appeared in the printed edition of Tech. You can order the issue here.

Our newsletters

Subscribe to the HR press review, the HR scene or the HRM job market and be the first to find out everything about the latest HR topics and the HR job market.