Managing Depression in the Workplace – Bridging Research and Practice

Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 11:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM ET

Resources:

Presentation Slides

This webinar presentation will describe workplace strategies to aid in supporting employees with depression in the workplace.

Researchers from the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) collaborated with a stakeholder advisory group to create an easy-to-use free resource for workplaces. The project drew on a review of the published research as well as employer and worker experiences gathered through an online survey, interviews, and focus groups, administered across Canada. Data about current workplace practices and experiences, providing current practice evidence, was combined with the research evidence to provide a comprehensive view of the available evidence.

The presentation will cover workplace culture, workplace processes, resources (workplace and non-workplace) as well as actionable steps workplaces can utilize to better support employees who may be experiencing depression.

You will learn

scientific and practice evidence about depression in the workplace
employee, manager, and OHS personnel experiences with depression
workplace strategies to support employees with depression in the workplace
a practical guide for workplaces

Take-home messages

We synthesized evidence from three sources: scientific literature, practitioner expertise, worker experience
Results reveal the importance of non-judgemental listening, flexible individualized supports, and access to external treatment/support resources
Synthesizing practice and scientific evidence can help guide policies and practices to support workers with depression

Hosted by

Dwayne Van Eerd, Ph.D.

Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, Canada

Dr. Dwayne Van Eerd is a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, where he has been a researcher since 1997. He has an MSc and BSc in kinesiology from the University of Waterloo, an MSc in health research methodology from McMaster University, and a PhD in work and health from the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. Upon getting his MSc in kinesiology, Van Eerd got his start in occupational health and safety research in a clinical setting, studying musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in performing artists. Now a scientist with the Institute for Work & Health, he focuses prevention of work-related injuries and disorders. His research projects have included evaluations of participatory organizational change programs and training interventions, as well as systematic reviews of the prevention literature. Recent projects include synthesizing practice evidence with research evidence for better practices in mental health and MSDs.