Re. Jan 10, 2012 “The injuries we don’t see; Mental injuries are receiving more attention for workers’ compensation and the threshold is changing”
CDN HR Reporter Jeffrey Smith author
Thank you for your Blog Article for CDN HR Reporter Jeffrey
More conversation about this topic is required as there is a bias inherent in calling everything distressful when in fact the majority of employees have “sadness” or run of the mill anxiety related to a single event &/or on going events for which they lack the coping skills (not a permanent state). The majority of what is being labelled as an illness or disability is actually a normal state of human existence. Something tragic happens such as a loss and we become sad for a period of time. A number of negative events occurs over time and an employee becomes temporarily anxious until they naturally develop resilience mentally. These are all normal states, NOT medically diagnosable illnesses.
Big pharma, on line self help groups, unions, inadequately trained GP’s, Roundtables all have a vested interest in legitimizing normal sadness & anxiety as an illness and for different reasons which enables their self interests.
At this time proper methodology for capturing and reviewing statistics is needed to stop the heretics from saying “the mental health sky is falling”.
May I suggest we all start to read well researched publications by bona fide experts before we all run off madly in all directions (Steven Leacock graduate)
“The Loss of Sadness”
“Comfortably Numb”
“Selling Sickness” & the newly released Carswell publication about Mental Health & DM in the workplace by author JESleeth OPC Inc
Let’s get the conversation finally started HR managers. But let’s make sure we have these conversations based on solid science, proper definitions and proper understanding about statistical trends. Look forward to it.
Jane Sleeth OPC Inc