5 Mental Health Questions for Your Job Interview

The three top factors we often use to rank the quality of a job are financial compensation, job security, and the prestige of the company. 

But how about the mental health culture of the employer? 

According to the Institute of Stress, work stress is ranked the third cause of stress in our population! And according to a series of on-the-job happiness surveys consulted in this Forbes article, the following are the top ten factors for job satisfaction: 

1. Appreciation for your work

2. Good relationships with colleagues

3. Good work-life balance

4. Good relationships with superiors

5. Company's financial stability

6. Learning and career development

7. Job security

8. Attractive fixed salary

9. Interesting job content

10. Company values

ONLY THREE out of the ten reference finances and security and SEVEN are focused on relationships and the quality of the emotional-mental environment and company social culture! 

Therefore, mental health CULTURE should be more important than financial CURRENCY when evaluating the quality of a job!

Below, are FIVE questions to help you explore a potential employer's views on mental health: 

1. Name three things that the company has done to promote the well-being of employees.

2. Can you describe the work culture?

3. What recent changes took place or will take place to improve the work culture?

4. What is the leadership style of the direct supervisor?

5. Does the company participate in any social responsibility activities?

BONUS QUESTION: How does the employer support an employee who has experienced a sudden life transition? (You can add your own life transition experiences, such as illness, loss, or accidents.)

These questions are to encourage employers to no longer ignore how work impacts mental health. 

Mental health conditions are rising at a rapid rate and it’s imperative that we carefully assess the environments in which we offer a huge portion of our time and expertise to determine if it’s a good “mental fit” for us.  

Your Mental Health Is Waiting For You....

Last week, we were all stunned into silence, sadness, and confusion when flooded with news of the suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade. Many of you may still be struggling with the questions of “Why?” and “How often do we miss — OR ignore — the signals?”

Since then we have been inundated with calls at Counseling Space and CEO Motions as the week’s events reopened the dialogue about suicide and the shame and stigma around mental health in communities of color.

Here’s what I can tell you:

• Close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year
• Every 40 seconds someone dies due to suicide
• There are indications that for each adult who died of suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide

Maybe you are at the point where you want to stop suffering in silence. Maybe you are ready to take action. Maybe you want to reach and help a loved one.

Here are some action plans:

1. CALL the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
2.  COMPLETE the Patient Health Questionnaire to discover the very blurred line between stress and depression
3.  DOWNLOAD our Health Insurance Cheat Sheet for guidelines on what to do if your therapist doesn’t take insurance
4.  BOOK a FREE Consultation Call with Counseling Space

If you’re a businesswoman barely beating burnout, please also consider joining our Wellness Board Room. Last week’s sad news stressed the importance of support and safe space once again! The Wellness Board Room was created because we understand the silent and secret challenges of entrepreneurship and professional leadership.

PLEASE DO NOT sacrifice living while pursuing your life’s goals and dreams.

What are some of the questions you’ve been processing in light of the news of Bourdain and Spade? I welcome your reflections and questions.

Do You Know If You Are Depressed?

I don’t know about you but these recent cold and gray days can make it challenging to find the will to GET UP, GET OUT, or GET BY. The fuss over romance and love partners around Valentine’s Day may also leave those who don’t celebrate or aren’t paired reflecting on their singledom — or even their SELF-WORTH. As many start looking forward to and planning for better spring and summer days to come, we can become DETACHED and dissatisfied with our current circumstances.

The “BLAHS” and BOREDOM can be quite normal and to be expected. However, there may be more to it than you might think!

Want to know if you are STRESSED or DEPRESSED? Sign up to receive an immediate download of the PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE below.

You will answer questions about your sleeping, eating, and thought patterns and then be able to assess it using the guidelines provided on PAGE 2 or through discussion with a mental health professional.

The most common and often MISDIAGNOSED symptoms of depression are:

• Lack of interest in hobbies or activities that you previously enjoyed
• Oversleeping or lack of sleep
• Fluctuations in weight
• Constant tiredness
• Poor concentration    

Let me share a few other things about depression:

Depression is SILENT and affects over 300 million people across the globe!

Depression is also the leading cause of DISABILITY worldwide!

BE PROACTIVE and KNOW YOUR STATUS and get the help needed for you and loved ones!

COMPLETE the FORM below to receive the Patient Health Questionnaire. 

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PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE

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If, after completing the assessment, you would like to speak with us, we are making a LIMITED number of FREE CONSULTATIONS available this week.

Schedule your FREE CONSULTATION here.

Wishing you an inspired and stress-free week!

Am I Stressed or Depressed?

I want you to think about that question: Am I stressed or depressed? Because there is a big difference!  

Honestly, it’s easy to get confused. It’s also easy to want to be confused as it’s often more acceptable to confess that you are struggling with stress than with depression. In our fast-paced, competitive, and wealth-driven societies, studies and surveys on stress are everywhere. Even though one condition is regularly concealed (see video below) and the other so common, doesn’t mean we should remain uninformed or indifferent to the more severe signs and symptoms of both.

The truth is that I don’t know anyone who has not encountered some form of long or short-term stress in his or her life. Think about it. Can you honestly say that each day of your life has been stress-free?  

Stress is how we react to pressure or when things become unbearable. Some of the common life experiences that can cause stress are:

• Moving into a new home
• Planning a wedding
• Career changes
• Studying for exams
• Financial struggles
• Dieting
• Relationship difficulties
• Aging
• Traveling
• Health complications

No wonder whenever we read about stress, it’s often in reference to how we can manage it! It’s universal! Nobody can promise you a stress-free life. Stress is here to stay and only you get to decide how you will treat this guest in your life. So, be mindful of your triggers.

Not all stress is bad. Acute stress is our body’s natural response to a new challenge or demand; its effects are moderate and even beneficial to body and mind. However, when acute stress occurs over prolonged periods of time, it is classified as chronic stress. And chronic stress kills. Physical and mental resources are depleted making sufferers more prone to heart and lung disease, cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, and even suicide.

Now, is stress a risk factor for depression? Yes.

Do they have the same symptoms? Yes!

Chronic long-term stress and avoiding stress by thinking it will go away willingly puts you at risk for depression. What is depression? A mental illness or mood disorder.  

Depression affects your moods, thoughts, behaviors, sleeping and eating patterns, and your overall health. Depression makes navigating simple daily tasks intolerable or impossible! Some of the common symptoms are:

• Prolonged feelings of sadness
• Lack of interest in hobbies or activities that you previously enjoyed doing    
• Oversleeping or lack of sleep    
• Fluctuations in weight    
• Constant tiredness    
• Frequent crying episodes    
• Poor concentration    
• Thoughts of death

You hear the word depression, but do you truly understand the gravity of this condition?

Depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Over 25 million individuals in the United States were living with major depression in 2014. Women are affected by depression to a greater degree than men. As mentioned in the video, 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lifetimes. The other 4 will have a friend, family member or colleague who will. Worldwide, depression is a leading cause of suicide. Most importantly, the frequency and severity of symptoms increase over time if not properly addressed!  

How do you know whether you are suffering chronic stress or depression? Take a mental health questionnaire. Or schedule an appointment with a mental health professional. If you are interested in having a free initial screening with us, email us directly at info@counselingpc.com or call 347-494-5870.

We also recommend the following practices to fight chronic stress and depression:

• Seek Help from a Mental Health Professional    
• Regular Exercise    
• Goal Planning    
• Social Interaction    
• Journaling    
• Group Therapy    
• Practice Gratitude    
• Meditation

Please know that chronic stress and major depression are treatable! Do not suffer in silence and live your entire life as if underwater!

At Counseling Space, P.C., we are here to listen. We are here to empower you with the tools to lead more emotionally stable and fulfilling lives! We are here to serve you.

Wishing you an inspired and stress-free week!

Millennial Women and Their Mental Health

Every generation has a defining word. The word for the Millennial Generation is: STRESSED. Numerous surveys conducted by the American Psychological Association found that millennials experience twice as much anxiety as the generations before and are much less equipped to manage it.

Some other words to describe the Millennial Generation are: ambitious, highly educated, confident, and entitled. Millennials are addicted to ambition in an academic and professional climate of intense competition and debt. However, this generation also lives in an age with limitless options for material goods, media content, career possibilities, and lifestyles. They are paralyzed by choice, ambition addiction, career crises, debt and, most significantly, a lack of connection. These stressors all lead to poor sleep and eating habits and an inclination towards unhealthy coping strategies like substance and Internet abuse and involuntary isolation.

It is this isolation that truly hurts millennials! Much of their stress and psychological burden are lessened significantly by connecting to a supportive social network. This is the call we are answering at Counseling Space, P.C. with our Support Group: “MILLENNIAL MINDS!” for Millennial Women.

Why millennial women? Because millennial women are the MOST stressed: 51% losing sleep worrying at night compared to 32% of men. Millennial women based in just New York experience depression 15 more days per year than millennial men.

Our supportive group sessions start on Tuesday, September 19th (see flyer for more details). Over the next 3 Mondays, we will share valuable insights into the stress and future outlook for millennials in our MILLENNIAL MONDAYS blog post series! In light of next week’s Labor Day celebrations, our upcoming post will touch on the bold entrepreneurial spirit of millennials.

If you want to learn about our group, or are interested in seeking individual services, click here to schedule a free consultation.

In the meantime, please feel free to share the flyer and information in this post with those you believe it would benefit.

Stay tuned for next Monday’s post, and have a great week!