Workers with depression ‘do not recognise need for treatment’

A large proportion of working-age people with depression are failing to seek out the treatment they may require, according to a new study.

Conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, the research aimed to investigate barriers to mental healthcare experienced by workers and the resulting impact on productivity.

They analysed responses from 2,219 Ontario adults, with participants between 18 and 65 years of age who had been in the workforce during the preceding 12 months.

As many as 40 percent of participants said they were experiencing significant depressive symptoms, with 52.8 percent of that group failing to recognise a need to seek help.

Dr Carolyn Dewa of Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and lead author of the study said: "Our study suggests that helping workers understand when they should be seeking help would significantly boost work productivity."

Key barriers to receiving treatment include perceived stigma surrounding mental illness, belief that treatment is ineffective, financial limitations and difficulty accessing appropriate mental healthcare.