Work and depression

In an effort to manage health care costs and (we hope) to promote well-being among employees, employers are increasing their efforts to help employees manage chronic health conditions.
This, as we might suspect, is a complicated development. The financial and productivity costs assocated with chronic conditions, such as depression, can be substantial. (Here's way to quantify the costs - Workplace Depression Treatment Savings Calculator.) Bringing those costs under control is generally regarded as a good thing.
Planned carefully, work can be good for a person with depression, helping to build confidence, self-worth, and purpose.
Another article shows that employers reap benefits from knowing about their employees’ depression. Again, they're better able to manage the costs, attendance, and productivity concerns if they know what they're dealing with.
For the employee, however, such visibility and candor doesn't always lead to a good place. An Australian study showed that one in five Australians would not work closely with someone suffering depression, and older men and migrants tend to view the illness negatively. Also, such program are often costly and ineffective.
A few additional notes:

• The level of support that I've received from my employers, as I've dealt with depression at work, have ranged from excellent to decidely unhelpful. In my experience, most employers will try to do the right thing and will succeed. Some will make well-intentioned mistakes.
  
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides you with significant protections, including privacy rights. 
• Because of the ADA, as much as an employer might genuinely want to help, there are limits to the amount of detail that an employer can receive regarding an employee's medical condition.
• Most wellness programs are administered by insurance companies, on behalf of the employer. Even though insurance companies can and do have a great deal of detail regarding your treatments, they cannot share your information with your employer.

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