Britons afraid to confess the truth when sick leave is stress-induced

 Some rights reserved by Slightlynorth

November 3, 2010, LONDON, England:


Millions of British workers feel forced to lie to their bosses about having to take stress-induced sick leave, a new study has found.


The mental health charity Mind said the findings prove that talking about workplace pressures remains a huge taboo.


The survey found that one in five workers has called in sick for stress-related reasons, yet the vast majority calling in (93 percent) lied to their boss about the real reason for their absence.


However, 70 percent said they wanted to be able to discuss stress with their employers, and one-third want their boss to make the first move and approach them directly when they are showing signs of strain.


Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said stress problems that aren’t addressed can quickly snowball into low morale, low productivity and high levels of sick leave. “We’d urge employers to encourage a culture of openness at work so they can solve problems now, rather than storing up problems for the future,” he said.


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Article © 2011 Bipolar Disorder Magazine


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Maintaining Holiday Cheer: Tips from the APA

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We're right in the middle of the winter holiday season!  While this is the season "to be jolly," the winter holidays can also be a time when family and economic pressures increase and dim our holiday cheer. 

The American Psychological Association (APA) has a variety of online publications to help manage stress while navigating the holiday season.  Articles such as "Making the Most of the Holiday Season" and "How to Stay Calm During the Holidays" give tips for dealing with common as well as unique stresses during the holidays (family tension, breakups, time pressures and tragedies.)  Articles like "Tips for Parents on Managing Holiday Stress" and "Dollars and Sense: Talking to Your Children about the Economy" deal with helping children understand financial pressures in age-appropriate ways.  For more general information about building emotional resilience, read the APA's brochure, "The Road to Resilience."

For more information about mental health, visit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania online and keep up with our blog with a subscription to our RSS feed!


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Coping with Stress and Depression During the Holidays

It's early November, and the holiday season is just around the corner! The holidays can be a time of joy and excitement, but for many, they can also contribute to stress and depression.

According to the Mental Health America (MHA) article, "Holiday Depression and Stress," many factors can contribute to the "holiday blues" including unrealistic expectations, fatigue, financial constraints and the demands of family. The article includes simple tips and reminders for dealing with holiday pressures before, during and after the festivities.

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Photo: Thanksgiving Dealies, Some rights reserved by Martin Cathrae

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Maintaining Stability While Unemployed

Some rights reserved by alancleaver_2000

Unemployment can add high stress to any life situation. BP Magazine's Sasha Faynor offers helpful tips on maintaining mood stability in her online article "When the job market crashes, your mood doesn't have to".

For more information about Bipolar Disorder and other mental illnesses, be sure to visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Happy Memorial Day

With the extended holiday weekend upon us, many of us are spending time with loved ones, relaxing, traveling or doing other things we enjoy.

This is a good time to review the national education campaign Live Your Life Well from our friends at Mental Health America (MHA).

The basis of this campaign is 10 ways to manage stress better. The tools are listed below. The details on each one can be found at MHA's website.

The 10 Tools

1. Connect with others

2. Stay positive

3. Get physically active

4. Help others

5. Get enough sleep

6. Create joy and satisfaction

7. Eat well.

8. Take care of your spirit.

9. Deal better with hard times.

10. Get professional help when you need it.

We would like to wish you an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!  The NAMI office will be closed on Monday, May 31.  For information or resources on recovering from mental illness, visit our website.