Addressing depression in the workplace

Right Direction is an initiative to raise awareness about depression in the workplace and its effect on productivity. It promotes early recognition of symptoms and works to reduce the stigma surrounding depression. It was developed through a collaborative effort between the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, a program of the American Psychiatric Foundation, and Employers Health, a national employer coalition based in Ohio, with support from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, U.S.A., Inc. and Lundbeck US.

As part of Right Direction, employers have access to a customized framework for taking action at their workplace to increase awareness and help-seeking behaviors among employees. Right Direction gives employers tools to share internally, including educational presentations about depression and its effect on the workplace; the “Field Guide,” a toolkit which includes a step-by-step implementation plan and corresponding promotional resources, including the following:

• Content for intranet sites
• Logos and icons
• Template PowerPoint presentation to create TV/plasma screen slides
• Posters - standalone and customizable
• Employee pocket cards