Addressing the issue of mental wellness at home or in the workplace was the main topic of discussion at the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Workshop which was hosted by DUT’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) at the DUT Hotel School Conference Centre.

“Mental health is a significant issue in the workplace and requires the necessary attention,” said Samantha Rajcoomar, EAP Specialist at the University’s Human Resource Department while speaking at the event which took place last Thursday (15 May 2014). “Employees who experience mental health issues face credible challenges at work. Many are misunderstood, shunned and underutilised. There is a direct link between mental health and performance. Some of the fundamental employee concerns include recognising the problem, rights and responsibilities, managing the culture at work, prevention and finding support,” she said.

According to research conducted by guest speaker Dr Zerisha Bodasing, a Psychiatrist at Cresthill Manor, Durban, one in four people are affected by mental illness directly or indirectly. Twenty percent (20%) or one-in-five people will suffer with a diagnosable mental illness in a given year. Four of the 10 leading causes of disability are from mental illnesses; most common being bipolar, major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. At any given time in a population, about 3 percent suffer from a mental illness. Five percent of adults generally have some sort of disorder that affects them; the most common implicated disorders again being depression, bipolar, schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder.

“When we speak to our GP colleagues, often they ask us about psychiatry and that’s because 20 percent of their patients present some sort of mental illness, most often of the anxiety type. There are many disorders that fall into anxiety disorders, some which are panic attacks, generalised anxiety, obsessive compulsive and social phobias,” said Dr Bodasing.

She said the top causes of these disorders is always money and “human pain”, reiterating that mental illness is among the more difficult workplace problems to tackle. “Unlike most other diseases, mental illness is one that many sufferers choose to leave untreated even when treatment is available. For sufferers, the promise of some relief competes with the fear of being stigmatised because they seek help,” she said.

The focus of the workshop also shifted on empowering employees about coping and understanding their children’s mental illness, a discussion which was led by Dr Jay Naidoo, a Psychologist. According to Dr Naidoo, it is often difficult for some parents to identify whether their children have a mental health concern.

“Parents need to understand the behaviour patterns in their children in order to identify whether they have a mental illness or not, however some of the mental illnesses are inherited or influenced by their surroundings. Parents also need to understand their own behaviour patterns,” said Dr Naidoo. He also spoke of stigmas associated with mental illness, the use of certain medications and the cost of treatment which might also prevent parents from seeking care for a child who has a suspected mental illness.

The staff was also given legal advice on managing mental health and poor performance in the workplace by Attorney; Jayshree Moodley. Moodley also spoke about the code of good practice which is attached to the labour relations act. She added that when an employee has been dismissed because of incapacity, one needs to follow on whether the right steps have been followed.

Some symptoms of mental illness in adults are:
• Overwhelmed by fear or worry
• Depressed mood
• Confused thinking
• Trouble dealing with stress
• Suicidal thoughts
• Severe anxiety
• Problems sleeping
• Distance from friends and family
• Paranoia

Some of the mental illnesses affecting children are:

• Anxiety disorders: Children who have anxiety disorders – such as obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia and generalised anxiety disorder – experience anxiety as a persistent problem that interferes with their daily activities.

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): This condition typically includes a combination of issues, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.

• Autism: Autism is one of a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders that appear in early childhood – usually before the age of three. Though symptoms and severity vary, all autism disorders affect a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

• Eating disorders: Eating disorders – such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder – are serious conditions. Children can become so preoccupied with food and weight that they focus on little else.

• Mood disorders: Such as depression and bipolar disorder – can cause a child to feel persistent feelings of sadness or extreme mood swings.

• Schizophrenia: This chronic mental illness causes a child to lose touch with reality (psychosis).

– Noxolo Memela

Pictured: Psychiatrist; Dr Zerisha Bodasing, talks about mental illnessnes to look out for in adults during the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Workshop at DUT.