The Cost of Diagnosing Normal

Having a mental health condition can result in as many as 10 extra days away from work per year when compared to those without a diagnosis.

What we are seeing is an ever-increasing percentage of the general population being diagnosed with a mental health condition that, just a few years ago, would not be considered a problem.

For example, It’s not unusual to feel anxious. Certain levels of anxiety are helpful. Athletes know that an elevated state of arousal helps them focus and be alert. Certain levels of stress can also help when you are in a crisis. Being sad or depressed can also be a normal response to a life event.

For example, when you lose a family pet, you may have days of sadness when you think of that loss.

For many years, as a Clinical Psychologist (now retired), I would sit with families and often explain that, in my opinion, their child was “normal.” This was especially true of young children under the age of 6, who often display behaviours that may be challenging to parents and teachers but are, in fact, normal.

Today, there is a push to label and diagnose. Just recently, the American Surgeon General claimed that a warning sign was needed on social media as it was causing the demise of the mental health of American Children.

The primary criteria for an absence from work should not be if there is a prevalent diagnosis. The reason for work absence should focus on the ability to do the required tasks or deliver the services safely at a high standard. Employees must understand this and be encouraged to communicate their status and performance issues with their supervisors or business owners.

Self-care outside of work may be an investment all forward-thinking companies should consider.

When considering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, many chronic conditions faced by first responders and military veterans lead to permanent disability. These conditions should not be confused with those who claim PTSD from multi-generational trauma or difficulties that they may have not experienced firsthand.

My mom’s family were displaced initially by the Germans when they marched into the Czech Republic and then after the war when the Russians occupied the country. They were told they had 5 minutes to leave their homes, or they would be shot, taking just a few clothes with them. Their homes were to be occupied by more loyal communists. There was trauma, and there were several near-death experiences, but I, as a child of that trauma, don’t find the impact debilitating or meet the criteria of a PTSD diagnosis. Others may have a different experience.

As a business owner or shareholder of a private or public company, you must ensure that mental health programs and supports are in place. However, you also need a rational approach to understanding the “normal” fluctuations in mental health. If I am worried about climate change or the next presidential election, is that a diagnosis worthy of paid time away from work? I think not. What say you?