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Today's Date: Monday, September 06, 2010

Large Polled Numbers Sympathetic Of Depression

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Study published by Ipsos Reid polling Canadian and American residents calculated 47 percent supportive of people with depression, 51 percent American.

Polling by phone 1,000 Canadians and 1,000 Americans for The Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, Reid found that an average 1 in 6 people have been diagnosed with depression, 20 percent Americans.

Twenty-one percent feel they are suffering from depression, just not diagnosed, 17 percent American workers. Furthermore, 72 percent know someone clinically diagnosed.

With large numbers intimate with the disease, many still fear acknowledging their sickness in their workplace. Seventy-eight percent polled believe in keeping depression a secret from colleagues “for fear of hurting their future opportunities” with the company said Reid.

Twenty percent disagree with that statement believing their future at the company would not be at risk. Forty-seven percent do not think they would be fired if work was missed due to their depression.

Not only do 66 percent say their bosses' would be understanding but there are also facilities and counselors offered as help by their workplace. A total of 84 percent “indicate that CEOs should make helping employees in the workplace with depression a key human resources priority,” said Reid's study.

Researchers split the studied into three groups those who are supportive, 47 percent, confused, 26 percent and those who are misinformed, 22 percent. Americans represent 51, 27 and 18 percent respectively, proving to be more sympathetic than the 44 percent of Canadian respondents.

The supportive Americans, 8 in 10, said they know how to help when someone asks them about depression. A small 5 percent of the misinformed believe those suffering from depression are acting out to draw attention, found Reid.

For more information on this study visit: www.ipsos.ca.

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