Week of 8.1.16

I definitely agree with the article that a person mental health directly influence the economy. Because this is true, many companies try to promote a more healthier and peaceful environment in order to establish a better work force. Many fortune 500 companies, have lounge and casual work area in order to relax the mind and create a more peaceful environment. Over the years, you may have notice that many companies start to deviate from the tradition work environment with cubicles and dull environment to these new modern casual work area. The main reason these kinda area comes up is because they help people relieve stress and anxiety. A person is who is less anxious and more healthy mentally is more inclined to work harder and better which in turn is better return for the company. The reason that companies are coming up with creative idea to help mental health is reason enough to show that there is a clear link between mental health and the economy.

I don’t think this article really unearths some kind of groundbreaking finding (healthy people are more productive? Whaaaaat) but it does briefly illustrate certain aspects of the mental health component of general health that are often overlooked. Great companies take care of their employees, which results in a mentally healthy workforce and a productive, profitable establishment. I would go further and say that these people probably live happier lives outside of the workplace (family life, socially, etc.) because the work environment seems to be a common source of stress that permeates to and exacerbates other stressors in one’s life. In my opinion, any opportunity to care for a person’s well-being should be welcomed and prioritized very highly, regardless of any economic benefit that may result. I also think new mental health programs would work wonders for our current unemployment rate, specifically targeting depressed/anxious patients caught in the vicious cycle of the inability to land a job.

The author’s examples of mental health-boosting initiatives in Zambia and Pakistan are encouraging, though not well expounded upon. The fact that every dollar invested into mental disorders results in a $4 boost to the economy overall should be reason enough for employers to explore avenues to prevent/treat issues suffered by their employees, and I look forward to new and creative ways American companies choose to implement plans for this in the hopefully not-too-distant future.

Much of the economic cost of mental illness stems from workers’ reduced productivity. We analyze the links between mental health and two alternative workplace productivity measures – absenteeism and presenteeism (i.e., lower productivity while attending work) – explicitly allowing these relationships to be moderated by the nature of the job itself. We find that absence rates are approximately five percent higher among workers who report being in poor mental health. Moreover, job conditions are related to both presenteeism and absenteeism even after accounting for workers’ self-reported mental health status. Job conditions are relatively more important in understanding diminished productivity at work if workers are in good rather than poor mental health. The effects of job complexity and stress on absenteeism do not depend on workers’ mental health, while job security and control moderate the effect of mental illness on absence days.

I found this article to be something that I think most people know but don’t really think about. Until recently, many companies did not realize the great benefits of having a healthy corporate culture. Like another student mentioned, Google has become the best example of this. I also really like the point Nora Ashraf made about the myth of depression being a “first-world problem.” While the most common causes of depression and anxiety may vary between developed and developing countries, it is undeniable that stress can contribute to or worsen preexisting mental health illnesses. It was also interesting to see learn about the Pakistani company that uses CBT because there can be a cultural stigma against mental health disorders in Asian countries.

The link between positive mental health and increased productivity is not surprising. A healthy mind and a sense of purpose in the work place are the engines that drive mental and physical energy which can translate into productivity. Many successful companies around the world, especially companies that rely on creativity from their employees, foster a nurturing and "fun" work place enviornment to promote happiness and thus positive mental energies.

Most of the outcomes presented in the article seem obvious to me, but I did find the link between long term birth control for women in Africa to increased productivity very interesting. The fact that birth control gives women more control over their lives has been well known, but in more impoverished contries where women may unfortunately have less civil liberties than the U.S., this sense of control is magnified. Having a domino effect, women in these countires feel empowered by having control of their lives, which leads to a more positive mental outlook, and thus and increase in productivity in the work place.