UMich study shows that aggressive intervention with laid off workers may help ward off illness

[Bozita]

Source: Ann Arbor News

Mental Health: University of Michigan study shows that aggressive intervention with laid off workers may help ward off illness
by Tracy Davis | The Ann Arbor News
Thursday April 09, 2009, 11:02 AM

When autoworkers were faced with layoffs during economic upheavals of the 1970s and 1980s, the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research studied two groups of workers who were about to lose their jobs.

One group received no help in advance of the losses. But the other group received intervention help - therapy, support, counseling.

And the difference in the mental health outcomes between the two groups was dramatic, according to panelists at a public seminar on depression and the economy at the Ann Arbor District Library Wednesday night.

The lesson? For those prone to depression or experiencing myriad aggravating factors that can trigger an onset of depression, such as job loss, economic reversals and other life traumas, it's best to act aggressively to help yourself and loved ones, said the panelists, who included U-M Depression Center director John Greden.

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/04/mental_health_university_of_mi.html

[OhioChick]

1. Sad thing is....

If you lose your job, you likely lose your health benefits, as well. Thus...no mental health coverage.

[redqueen]

2. Exactly... and worse still, even *with* insurance,

mental healthcare can still be prohibitively expensive, especially in this kind of economic climate.

[Mithreal]

4. And even with insurance you may not be able to see anyone soon

After losing my last job and undiagnosed severe sleep apnea, I was having trouble with possible depression. I had insurance with my wife and to see a therapist that took my insurance it was a 1 year wait.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. WTF? If we can afford "intervention" for the unemployed, we can afford to create jobs.

[nolabear]

5. Build it into benefits packages.

In the event you're laid off, you have the option of "intervention help."

As to paying for it when you're already strapped for money, although it is every bit a real struggle, sometimes people don't believe that it can be of help or are ashamed of not being able to just "suck it up" so don't put it in the same category as they do other health issues. There are therapists who offer a sliding scale, clinics that do the same, training institutes whose trainees need cases and will see people for low fees (and they are often seasoned therapists getting specialized training, not neophytes) and other options. The availability varies but being proactive can only open up possibilities.

There's no shame in seeking, accepting and advocating for a place to go with the horrible stressors inherent in losing one's job.

[bemildred]

6. Safety and security make people feel better.

Being abandoned, hopeless, and alone make them feel worse.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

7. The useful life-span of the Disposable American steadily shrinks. Why is that...

so hard to understand?
-------------------------------

Down in Santiago where they took away our mines
We cut off all their money so they robbed the storehouse blind
Now maybe we should ask some questions, maybe shed a tear
But I bet you a copper penny, it cannot happen here
And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends
--"Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends" By Phil Ochs
*Additional verse, 1974*