The Symptom versus the Cause

According to www.mindframe-media.info in Australia, around one in five people will experience a mental illness at some stage of their life, including alcohol or other substance abuse disorders. In extreme cases, mental illness can be debilitating, affecting all areas of a person’s life from employment, to relationships, to everyday functioning.


In my various roles and years in Human Resources, I have had countless managers come to me seeking advice on guidance as to how to handle behaviours of their team. In most cases, it is where behaviour has changed and where there is a noticeable impact on the team that they are seeking the help with. The way they managed that employee before no longer seems to be working as the employee has now changed..... and nothing seems to be working!

Classic signs of behaviour change include absenteeism, presenteeism (they are there, but not really ‘there’ i.e. occupying a seat but not working), changed performance output, mood swings, lateness, patterns of behaviour such as struggling to stay awake every afternoon or on particular days and generally being ‘out of sorts’ where people just aren’t themselves.

Some Interesting statistics and information I recently read through from www.mhca.org.au which you may want to consider if you lead people....



Statistics on Mental Health in Australia

• One out of every five Australians [about 20%] will experience some form of mental

illness each year. Three out of every ten [about 3 %] will be seriously affected.

• Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental disorders experienced by

Australians. Depression alone is predicted to be one of the world’s largest health

problems by 2020.

• Nearly one in 10 Australians will experience some type of anxiety disorder each year

o around one in 12 women and one in eight men. One in four people will experience

an anxiety disorder at some stage of their lives.

• Around one million Australian adults and 100,000 young people live with depression

each year. On average, one in five people will experience depression in their lives;

one in four females and one in six males.

• Mental illness affects young people. Around 14% of 12-17year olds and 27% of 18-25

year olds experience a mental illness in any given year. At least one third of young

people have had an episode of mental illness by the age of 25 years.

• The majority of mental illnesses begin between the ages of 15-25 years. This poses a

significant threat to our nation’s future workforce capacity and economic prosperity.

• The 2001 National Health Survey estimated that 1.8 million Australians (9.6% of the

population) had a longterm mental or behavioural problem of more than 6 months

duration. Of these, 130,600 (0.7%) were related to drug and alcohol problems.



• Approximately two thirds of people with a mental illness do not receive any treatment

in any 12 month period.

• Mental disorders and suicide account for 14.2 % of Australia’s total health burden –

which equates to 374,541 years of healthy life lost (DALYs).

• Estimates suggest that up to 75 % of people presenting with alcohol and drug

problems also have additional mental health problems.

• Reports indicate that up to 85% of homeless people have a mental illness.

The MHCA is the independent, national representative body of the mental health sector in Australia.

Ph:02 6285 3100 Email: admin@mhca.org.au Web: www.mhca.org.au

1. Mental Health and Wellbeing: Profile of Adults, Australia 1997, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1998

2. The Global Burden of Disease: A Comprehensive Assessment of Mortality and Disability, Injuries, and Risk Factors in 1990

3. and Projected to 2020, World Bank, Harvard School of Public Health, Geneva, 1996

4. Beyondblue Fact Sheet 21, Anxiety Disorders, 2007

5. Beyondblue National Initiative, 2006

6. Making Sense of Orygen Youth Health – www.orygen.org.au/docs/INFO/MS%200YH2(1)

7. Drug Use in the Family, ANCD Report, 2007

8. Mental Health and Wellbeing: profile of adults, Australia 1997, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1998

9. Time for Service, MHCA 2006

10. Drug Use in the Family, ANCD Report, 2007

So, the next time you have performance or behavioural issues in your team or business, ask yourself to look beyond the presenting symptoms and be open to assisting the employee. Strike a balance between the job that needs to be done and the individual who also needs to work on themselves and seek help. If you don’t have one, there are some fantastic Employee Assistance Programs or Coaches available to help you help your employee.