OCTOBER 2023  depression & NDEAM  

October is Depression Awareness Month. According to the World Health Organization Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. About 21 million U.S. adults or 8.4% of the population had a major depressive episode in 2020. Depression, especially in midlife or older age, can co-occur with other serious medical illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and more. These conditions are often worse when depression is present, and research suggests people with depression and other medical illnesses tend to have more severe symptoms of both illnesses. 

Depression can affect people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and genders. Depression can look different from one person to the next. Some people may show symptoms like being angry or irritable instead of being sad or disinterested. In some cases, depression can manifest as physical symptoms like a racing heart, tightened chest, headaches, or digestive issues. Men are more likely to see a doctor about physical symptoms rather than mental health concerns. Depression does not have a single cause. It can be triggered by a life crisis, physical illness or something else… but it can also occur spontaneously. 

Depression | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

NIMH » Depression

NIMH » Chronic Illness and Mental Health: Recognizing and Treating Depression

Coffee with a Cause  october 2023     

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In 2022 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the "average" disability unemployment rate was 8.2% compared to 3.5% for non-disabled. The CDC tracks 6 categories of disabilities and cognition is the leading category in Colorado and the USA. There is a distinction between average disability unemployment compared to category specific unemployment rates.

Data shows average disability unemployment and poverty rates are at least DOUBLE the non-disabled rates, while category specific disabilities have unemployment and poverty rates 5X to 8X the average. One example is almost 50% of 25-year-olds with Autism have never held a paying job. And of the 60% who got a job through vocational rehabilitation programs, 80% worked part-time at a median weekly rate below the poverty level.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) | U.S. Department of Labor

Disability Mentoring Day | AAPD

AskEARN | Resource Library - Neurodiversity

Coffee with a Cause  october 2023  

People of all ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds experience depression, but it does affect some groups more than others. For example 44% of working age adults in Colorado with a disability report depression compared to 15% of the non-disabled. Disabilities are linked to depression, a major cause of absenteeism and productivity loss among working-age adults. At the same time evidence indicates depression (a mental health condition) and poverty (a cost-of-living condition) are the two primary contributors in over 50% of suicides. 

Mountain Lifeworks complements existing programs with data driven solutions to balance mental health and economic interventions. Working age adults with disabilities live in poverty at a rate of 25% compared to only 9.3% of non-disabled. Adults living below the poverty level report mental distress 70% more often than adults in higher income households. Meaningful employment and equal opportunities are important tools to disrupt the poverty-depression cycle regardless of cause or community. These strategies mitigate disparities, reduce costs and improve outcomes for individuals, families and communities.

AskEARN | Home - Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion

Depression | Workplace Health Strategies by Condition | CDC

ODEP | U.S. Department of Labor

Remember a balanced approach uses verified data to identify problems and to propose actionable solutions. Only those willing to have difficult conversations can solve difficult problems. The first step to solving any problem is accepting the data indicating a problem... not blaming the messenger or method of delivery. 

So join us for Coffee with a Cause and let's keep the conversation going each month with more data and actionable real life solutions!