| Frequently
Asked Questions
Here are the seven questions we hear
most frequently from you. Click on a question below and learn more about
our approach to health and productivity management.
Does our company have a problem
with depression and anxiety?
In the general population,
one year prevalence rates for
anxiety
disorders are
17%, and for
depression is
11%. (Dozois, D. &
Westra, H. 2004)
The average co-morbidity
(this means a person is diagnosed with anxiety
and depression) of
these disorders is approximately 50% with anxiety being much more likely to
precede depression than the reverse.
These disorders often go
undetected and untreated
by primary care physicians.
(Detection rates range from a low of 15% to a high of only 36% for anxiety
and depression in primary care settings.)
How does this problem affect our bottom line?
Health insurance premiums have increased at a rate more than
three times the growth in
worker’s earnings
and two and
one-half times the rate of
inflation.
(Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005)
In a retrospective study of a Fortune 100 manufacturing
company, claims data for workers diagnosed with depression incurred health
care
costs four times that of the employee average.
(Birnbaum, H.G.; et. al., 1999)
Indirect costs of poor employee health,
such as absenteeism, disability, and lost performance at work, are
two to
three times higher than direct medical costs.
(Partnership for Prevention)
Who is it in our company that we can’t afford to
lose?
Two thirds of both men and women say that
work has a significant impact on their stress level
and one in four has called in sick or taken a “mental health day” because of
stress. (American Psychological Association, 2004)
Workers who must take time off work
because of anxiety, stress, or a related disorder will be
off the
job for about 21 days. (U.S.
Department of Labor Statistics)
American employees used about
8.8
million sick days in 2001 due to
untreated or mistreated depression. (National Committee for Quality
Assurance, 2002)
Depression results in
more
days of disability than chronic
health conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
(National Committee for Quality Assurance, 2004)
When it is stressful, do we bring all of our
resources to solve the problems?
Mindfulness training builds awareness skills
in the individual. By learning to pay attention to the present moment in a
non-judgmental way, the participant learns to improve focus even in the
midst of rapidly changing circumstances. NBA coach Phil Jackson has taught
mindfulness skills to his world champion Chicago Bulls and world champion
Los Angeles Lakers teams.
Research has shown that 40% of those who are
willing to learn and apply the practice of mindfulness to manage the
symptoms of depression have been able to successfully eliminate their
anti-depressant medication without relapsing for more than three years.
(Teasdale, 2000)
How well do we innovate in today’s competitive
environment?
Optimistic employees believe that they are
able to positively contribute to successful outcomes. They believe that the
actions they took to a success in one situation will be the kind of action
that will yield success in other, similar situations. If it works now, it
will continue to work. So optimistic people repeat and extend the behavior
that brings them, and their company, success.
In one study that
measured the positive emotions of 192 female business managers and
then assessed job performance over 18 months, happier people got better
evaluations and higher pay. (Long, B.; Kahn, S.; & Schultz, R. 1992)
Do we have the right attributes to thrive in
adversity?
Resilience is the ability to continue to
function, even under stressful circumstances. In fact, the resilient
individual often finds ways to not only survive but thrive in the often
chaotic world of modern business. Resilient individuals are more committed
and engaged, find the opportunities inherent in challenging situations and
are able to act effectively by understanding and focusing on what is truly
in their control.
In a study of 450 supervisors from a large
organization that was undergoing a downsizing, two-thirds suffered with
depression or anxiety, had major health problems, or had break downs in
their most important relationships. However, the one third who were
resilient not only negotiated the changes but were promoted or started
their own companies. (Maddi & Kobasa, 2005)
Are we working to improve the health of our
employees?
Companies with higher revenue growth are
better at motivating employees
and provide
more opportunities for growth and development. Employee engagement
levels in these high performing organizations are
20% higher
than those of their counterparts. (Hewett Associates, 2004)
A review of 42 published studies of worksite health promotion
programs shows an average of 28% reduction in sick leave absenteeism, 26%
reduction in health care costs, 30% reduction in workman’s compensation and
disability management claims with a corresponding
$5.93 savings for every dollar spent.
(Chapman, L.S. 2003)
Modifiable health risk behaviors have been responsible for
25% of total expenditures
for health, and wellness programs seek to reduce the impact
of these behaviors. (Anderson, D.; Whitmer, R.:; and
Goetzel, R., 2000)
Almost four out of five employees (79%) believe their
employers
should
encourage employees to adopt healthy lifestyles.
(Towers Perrin, 2004)
Call us today for
a free consultation
(262) 544-6486
We know that information does not lead to implementation
so we offer all of our programs either onsite or online
in a fully interactive and
real time format.
|
The Healthy Thinking Initiative
