Workplace stress and counselling

Treatment can help workers with mental health problems return to near-normal productivity, but not treating people who have high levels of mental stress seemed to have the same effect, a new study reports. Researchers looked at statistics regarding mental health and productivity levels in more than 60,000 Australian workers. The workers who didn't have symptoms of mental health problems were the most productive on the job. Those who were in treatment for psychological issues reported lower levels of distress over time, suggesting the treatments were working. Their productivity levels were low at first during treatment but returned to near-normal, according to the study, which appears in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.