ARE THE EMPLOYEES ALRIGHT? With depression, anxiety, and suicide rates on the rise in Utah, employers are looking for workplace solutions.

• Author: Penrod, Emma

Last summer, Elainna Ciaramella's husband was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer and only given three to six months to live, unless he chose to undergo treatment. After the diagnosis of her husband. Ms. Ciaramella's world came crashing down. Recognizing the strain this kind of family-crisis would put on her mental health, and in turn, her performance at work, she knew it was necessary to open up to her employers about her struggle but felt hesitant to do so.

She's not alone. According to a survey from Marketwatch, as many as 85 percent of employees aren't comfortable opening up to their employer about mental health issues such as depression or anxiety due to perceived stigma. And their employers are equally wary. Regulation and fears about lawsuits and legal costs can make the managers themselves anxious when they become concerned about an employee's wellbeing, says Sharon Cook, a program administrator specializing in supported employment and mental health recovery at the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

But with a little education, it doesn't have to be that way. Experts say addressing mental health in the workplace doesn't need to be intimidating or costly, and that creating an open, supportive workplace environment can be beneficial for both parties.

"It's a big topic, and I don't think it's going away," agrees Sean Morris, a licensed marriage and family therapist as well as the CEO of employee assistance firm, Blomquist Hale. "And it certainly becomes a challenge for many employers, partly because of the sensitivity around it--employers have this uneasiness of 'what do I do now?"'

ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES STRUGGLING?

It can be difficult to be sure when an employee is struggling with mental health because symptoms can vary widely--not only from a variety of different conditions but also from one person to the next. But the main cues to watch for, Mr. Morris says, are sudden changes in the employee's appearance or behavior--especially several changes happening all at once.

"People don't usually change drastically," Mr. Morris says, "and certainly don't have a number of changes."

For example, a manager may notice that an employee who was once outgoing has withdrawn from their coworkers, and may seem irritable or even tearful at work. They may become suddenly emotional at their desk or on the job, without an obvious reason why. Or their attendance may change--they may show up late often, frequently leave early, or they...