Mental health affects all aspects of people’s lives from personal to professional. We tend to focus on how mental health affects our families, relationships and personal wellness. One important area of mental health that is easily forgotten is mental health in the work place. Workplace stress causes about 1 million U.S. employees to miss work each day according to the Department of Labor.

Besides thousands of hours of missed work each day due to stress, American employees used about 8.8 million sick days in 2001 due to untreated depression. Employee absenteeism due to depression cost U.S. businesses between $33 billion and $44 billion per year. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in America with an estimated National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and organization dedicated to raise the awareness of mental illness in our country. About 12 million women and 6 million men in the U.S. suffer from depressive disorders according to the NIMH. Depression is also one of the least recognized mental disorders and the disorder least sought treatment for in the country.

Other mental illnesses besides stress and depression affect businesses and employees’ professional life. Anxiety-related disorders cost the United States $42 billion a year in work-related medical losses. In a typical workplace with 20 employees, four will likely develop a mental illness this year.

Even faced with these staggering statistics on the cost of untreated mental illnesses to businesses, the percentage of employers who offer insurance coverage for mental illnesses dropped from 84 percent in 1997 to 79 percent in 2002.

 "Caring for mental health should be part of each person's daily routine for overall health," said Michael Faenza, National Mental Health Association president and CEO. "Mental Health Month puts a special focus on the workplace as an ideal setting to encourage people to incorporate mental health awareness into their daily lives."

Workplace environments have a greater effect on employee stress levels than the number of hours employees work. Small changes in the workplace environment can have positive impact on lowering workplace stress.

·         Harsh white walls can be painted a calming blue to lower glare levels and sooth workers nerves.

·         Sound levels can be lowered by turning down phone ringing and encouraging employees to use head phones when listening to music at their workstations can reduce noise levels and lower worker anxiety.

·         Florescent lights can glare and flicker causing undo stress. Light bubs can be changed to soft light or think about substituting a lamp to keep those florescent lights off.

·         Scents can have an astounding affect on your mood. Try a scented candle or other scented item to see if it can uplift your mood at the office.

When mental health is supported in the workplace, employers see gains in morale and productivity. When mental health is ignored, employers see problems with on-the-job concentration, absenteeism and rising healthcare costs.

"A positive work environment can help relieve everyday stresses that affect employees personally and professionally," said Faenza. "When mental health is considered, employers see benefits in morale, lower absentee rates, on-the-job concentration and the bottom line."

To learn more about Mental Health Month locally call Border Area Mental Health Services To reach Border Area Mental Health Services in Grant and Hidalgo Counties, call 388-4412; in Catron County, call 533-6649 for referral; in Luna County, call 546-2174.  For CRISIS, call 538-3488 or outside Silver City, call 1-800-426-0997.