Sponsorship:
Just the Facts...
If you think mental illness doesn’t affect your business, think again! Mental illness costs your company in every way... Every day! Worldwide, the cost of stigma and discrimination statistics are even greater.
With advances in research, medicine, the work of the World Fellowship for Schizophrenia & Allied Disorders, its partners and your support, people affected by these serious mental illnesses can live an improved quality of life!
As you look around your workplace, one in five of the people there has, or will have, a mental illness at some point in their lives. Now think about all the employees in your company. One in five of them will be affected. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada.
On any given day...
- 10-15% of Canadians or Americans are experiencing a work-limiting mental disorder.
Over the course of a single year....
- In countries with established market economies, more than 91 million working days a year are lost to mental health problems.
In Canada alone…
- Up to 25% of Canada’s labour force experiences a mental disorder that affects their work, but fewer than 20% who need treatment actually get it.
- A staggering 35 million days of work are lost each year due to mental disorders at a cost of $30-billion in lost productivity and cost to companies for disability payments and staff replacement.
- 400,000 Canadian workers go on short or long -term disability for mental health related illnesses every year, accounting for 35% of all insurance claims for disability.
- There are 368,000 new claims for disability insurance for mental disorders, annually.
Over the long term…
- Up to 40% of workers will experience a mental disorder during their working lives.
- A remarkably large proportion of employees who end up on mental disability leaves are workers in mid-career with 10 years or more at the same company.
- 18% of people who do not seek treatment for mental illness say they are afraid to ask for help.
- People on disability leave are anxious to return to work but most managers are inexperienced and untrained in handling mental-health issues and often treat them as “permanently damaged”.
The Best News!
Companies with active Return to Work programs have been enthusiastic about the results: “Our experience clearly shows it is worthwhile. If you want to become an employer of choice, it has to be clear you are doing the best possible to get people back into the company.”
— John Hunkin, Chairrman & CEO, CIBC
Mental illness is both treatable and beatable: “The practical goal is to help equip employers, employees and unions with the means and tools”.
— Bill Wilkerson, Co-chairman of the
Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health.
Source: Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addictions and Mental Health & Statistics Canada, 2003.