"Depression is my business, but how much has yours suffered from it?” asks Dr. Babber. With the continued rise of financial stressors affecting the economy today, it is no surprise how common depression is in the workplace. Last year, it was quoted by the National Institute of Mental Health that mental disorders cost the U.S. $193 billion in lost income, decreased productivity and absenteeism. Learn how to increase your company‘s productivity as Dr. Babber takes you through a journey of emotional health from home to the workplace.

Q: Why do you think this issue has become so prevalent?

A:  It has become such a problem because as a society we focus more on the act of succeeding rather than the mindset.  We’ll spend countless hours working at tasks, attending meetings, etc., but how many times do we stop and actually think about our emotional and mental state and try to understand that?  If we gave even a few minutes a month to take a closer look at how we can achieve an emotional balance in our life, 20 million Americans would not be suffering from depression and our economy would not be continuously suffering because of it.  It surprises me, knowing that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide but yet the awareness is still lacking at how dramatic the losses have been for years.

Q:  So how can you help businesses?

A:  Well, the best way to help a business profit is to cut its losses – simple, right?  So if you start implementing programs and strategies within a workplace that would help people better understand their mental and emotional stresses, you’ll directly improve their performance, productivity and decrease absenteeism.  When you’ve just made that slight change alone, you’ll be surprised at how much the company grows financially.  It’s known that we try to grow a business by obtaining more clients and services through marketing and advertising, but it may be worth a look at investing a small amount in workshops or programs to help understand depression in the workplace especially now that the economy is seeing some tough times.

Q: How do you work with clients? What’s a typical arrangement?

A: There are several ways and clients can select what is the best fit for their company.  Some prefer a comprehensive seminar on understanding the impact of depression in the workplace.  Others prefer a half day workshop where we go through simple exercises to identify the areas of need for the company as a whole.  Recently, I’ve begun to offer half day confidential consultations for company employees that may need some individual education or guidance.  Employers themselves may benefit from consultations to understand the dynamics that occur in the workplace with their employees.

Clients may hire me for either a one-time event or monthly with a minimum of 6 month committment.  The montly arrangement works best for companies that are serious about cutting their losses and understand  that education needs to be ongoing.  They are well aware of the benefits when employees are getting constant exposure to ways they are able to deal with their work stress.  Plus it’s a good way to make sure everyone is getting some education if it is occurring regularly and then employees are not missing out.

Q: What types of companies do you work with?

A: Hospitals, Small Businesses, Educational Institutions, Government and Non-profit Organizations. 

Q: How did you get into this work?

A: I have been a practicing psychiatrist for 5 years and quickly realized that people’s biggest complaint or source of stress was the workplace so I decided to do something about it.  I’d like to be at the other end of the spectrum where prevention through education should be the first line of treatment for a healthier and wealthier workplace.

Q: Do you have a special offer for YES!Circle members?

A: Yes, of course.  Your members get a $500 referral fee for any company that hires me for a 6 month commitment or $100 for a one-time event.

Dr. Babber can be reached at (800)573-7351.  Visit www.drbabber.com for more info.