Depression at Work: Managing Symptoms and Facilitating a Healthy Workplace

When you are diagnosed with depression, life doesn’t come to a screeching halt. You’ll likely still have daily responsibilities to uphold, such as chores, grocery shopping, self-care, and a career — just now they are performed under a cloud of depression. 

The prevalence of depression in the workplace is often overlooked, especially when metrics, targets, and expectations are being met. However, these tells can be misleading, much like the way a friend with high-functioning depression who is always cracking jokes may be masking their struggles and symptoms. To truly know what depression at work looks like and strategies employees can implement to enhance workplace mood, it’s important to look past the surface and understand actionable steps. 

Here’s how to create a more supportive work environment by approaching the issue with honesty and preparedness, paving the way for healing, emotional resilience, and improved mental health.

Understanding Workplace Depression: More Than Just Being Sad

Depression is a clinical mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, loneliness, tiredness, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in once joyful activities. It’s more than just having a bad day at work — depression lasts long-term and requires professional support.  

According to research published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, 75% of employees experienced having one or more symptoms of a mood disorder, and 85% reported that conditions in the workplace contributed to a mental health challenge ¹. This indicates a concerning reality where employees are working through a mood disorder, only for related symptoms to be exacerbated by workplace factors.

If you suspect you or a fellow work associate is struggling with depression, here are some signs to look out for that may bring clarity to your concerns. 

Recognizing depression symptoms in the workplace context

Depressive symptoms can manifest differently depending on the individual. Recognizing them in yourself or another in the context of the workplace presents serious challenges, as professional responsibilities prioritize your focus, and employee relationships are often less close than those in your personal life. 

If a member of your friend or family is depressed, extended social time — or lack thereof — opens the floor for recognizing behavioral changes, and the comparatively more intimate nature of your relationship means you can better spot depressive symptoms. However, when cubicle walls block the look of despair worn on your face, the buzzing of employees muffles the quiet sighs of exhaustion, and inquiries about how you’re doing are met with an instinctive “good,” identifying depression at work can be tricky.

While symptoms of depression are exhibited differently depending on the individual, there are several signs you can keep an eye out for that may give you some indication as to whether you or a workplace associate is depressed, including:

• Sleeping through your alarm, frequently being tired at work despite adequate rest, or insomnia.
• Expressing irritability at small work-related inconveniences, or feeling overwhelmed by a workload that was once manageable.
• Decreased productivity, missing deadlines and goals, procrastinating assignments, or increasingly making mistakes or errors. 
• Avoiding professional responsibilities, loss of initiative, increased absenteeism or tardiness, or using sick days to skip work. 
• Inability to sit still in your chair, frequent fidgeting, restlessness, or purposeless meandering. 
• Withdrawal or isolation from peers at the workplace, poor communication, hiding to avoid social interaction, or tendencies to dissociate at work.
• Becoming forgetful, detached, disinterested, or loss of passion to progress your career. 
• Unusually poor hygiene or disheveled appearance.
• Skipping meals, or a noticeable and dramatic change in weight.
• Showing up to work under the influence of alcohol or substances.

Although workplace stress can surface similar behaviors, the key difference is that depression does not simply go away after a few days when conditions improve. 

Workplace-specific factors that contribute to depression

There is no single contributing factor that causes depression. Rather, depression emerges from a range of influences that encompass drivers like genetic predispositions to mental health disorders, the health of your gut biome, and traumatic life experiences. 

However, in the context of the workplace, there are varying factors that may be fueling the fire of depression, including: 

• Poor work-life boundaries, chronically being overworked, or unrealistic professional expectations.
• Difficult colleague relationships, being bullied or harassed, toxic workplace culture, discrimination, disregard of your personal ethics, or inadequate access to professional support or resources.
• Inadequate leadership, insufficient training, lack of reassurance leading to feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome, or frequent micromanagement. 
• Poor communication, unclear standards and goals, or disconnect between the values of employees and the organization.
• Limited career mobility, tedious or monotonous tasks, lack of fulfillment or purpose, or revolving door hiring that produces frequent turnovers and fuels job insecurity fears.
• Poor physical work environment — lack of natural light, dirty or unsanitary conditions, uncomfortable conditions, and sitting or remaining stagnant for extended periods.
• Long commutes in traffic or irregular workshift cadences that fragment sleep patterns.

No workplace is perfect, so these factors should not be considered make or breaks in how they set the stage for potential depression at work. Rather, they are contributing elements that can compound to exacerbate symptoms in a person already susceptible to depression.

Identifying personal risk factors for depression

Nobody is immune from potentially developing depression. However, personal risk factors can set the stage for an increased susceptibility to developing this mood disorder. 

Personal facts to look out for if you think you might be vulnerable to depression include:

• A family history of depression, other mental health conditions, or brain chemistry imbalances. 
• Traumatic life experiences, grief, financial stress, or chronic pain or illness.
• Limited knowledge of healthy coping mechanisms for stress. 
• Poor sleep, diet, and exercise habits. 
• Little to no support system outside of work.
• Being diagnosed as neurodivergent or having a disability.

If you possess any risk factors, it’s important to be mindful so you can implement preventative strategies to cope better or receive professional help sooner. 

Challenges of depression in remote work settings

Employers are increasingly allowing at-home or remote work, but this comes increased isolation and difficulty in recognizing depression. The challenges of recognizing remote work depression are clear: limited face-to-face interactions, the ability to turn off your webcam during meetings, and communication barriers all make it more difficult to recognize workplace depression in yourself or others and can make symptoms worse. 

To alleviate symptoms, look for public workspaces that foster social interaction, create and stick to a structure and routine, and set boundaries. Productive examples of boundary-setting include turning off work-related technology after a certain time, or establishing a “work zone” — an area of your house like an office space solely dedicated to completing job responsibilities.

Related: Understanding the Impact of Untreated Depression

Dealing With Depression at Work: Strategies for Employees To Manage Workplace Mood

Self-care strategies don’t have to be put to the wayside the second you clock in. A healthy workplace environment should welcome employees taking initiative and carving out time to support their mental health. 

Psychological well-being not only benefits you, but the organization as well. Research supports this, as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the U.S. economy loses $1 trillion every year due to anxiety- and depression-related absences [2] . When employers foster an environment that welcomes workers to practice self-care strategies on the clock, workers feel more confident that they can go step into a workplace where their mental health is supported, decreasing potential absenteeism and tendencies to isolate. 

Legally required workplace accommodations

When clinical depression interferes with one or more major life activities like work, it qualifies as a disability. This means that if your work employs 15 or more people, depression is protected under The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and employers are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations with a note from a healthcare professional.

While “reasonable” is a subjective term, accommodations that likely won’t raise eyebrows include: 

• Modifications to the physical work environment, such as placing your workspace in a quieter area or near natural light, requesting a more ergonomic chair, or decorating your personal space with reminders of loved ones. 
• Additional breaks or a flexible schedule to accommodate in-person or online psychiatry or therapy appointments.
• Frequent check-ins or increased diligence on the communication front. 
• Moderate adjustments in workload. 
• Placing a white noise machine near your workspace, or using noise canceling headphones.
• Tolerance for tardiness or absenteeism during severe depressive episodes. 

If your boss, manager, or supervisor refuses to make these accommodations, document any evidence, present your struggles to HR — and if no improvements are made — consider filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) if you face continued push back. 

Creating boundaries and structure to support mental health

The importance of creating proper boundaries at work is palpable. By setting boundaries around your schedule, communication availability, and time carved out for self-care and stress management breaks, you can facilitate a healthier workplace mood. 

Taking adequate breaks  

Making sure to establish dedicated, uninterrupted breaks is an important boundary to set with your organization’s leadership. Stepping away from your desk and going on a walk outside, stretching, meditating, or carving out time to eat a healthy meal on your lunch break can go a long way in supporting mental health. 

Breaks are legally required for a reason — it’s a time that can help with mental rejuvenation, eye-strain alleviation, headaches and migraines, physical and mental fatigue, and overall mood. Establish a precedent that breaks are non-negotiable, and firmly communicate this sentiment to leadership. 

Establishing communication boundaries

It’s also vital to implement communication boundaries. While this can mean not checking or responding to emails or texts when you’re outside the office or workplace, communication boundaries also apply when you’re on the clock. 

Leadership should communicate expectations on workload and how long it should take to complete projects, and complex instructions should be delivered verbally. Furthermore, you don’t have to disclose any personal details about your life or struggles with depression outside of what is required for ADA accommodations.

Implementing workload boundaries

It can be very easy to keep accepting tasks, overflowing your to-do list in an attempt to appease management. You might fear saying no to protect yourself from backlash, and the idea of being perceived as someone who isn’t a team player can be daunting. 

Although these concerns are valid, respectfully rejecting tasks that exceed your bandwidth can prevent burnout and feelings of being overwhelmed. Additionally, you protect yourself from the likelihood that responsibilities will bleed into your personal life, which can interfere with your efforts to be present. This can worsen your depression — but when you stick to your boundaries and honor your needs, your work-life balance becomes more stable.

Related: Can Depression Make You Sick?

Navigating Workplace Relationships and Communication

Knowing how to manage depression at work is one thing, but requesting accommodations in a respectful and appropriate manner is another. Here’s how to communicate your mental health concerns and ask for support that will aid your healing process.

When to disclose with your employer about workplace depression

As you consider whether you should talk to your employer about your depression, consider the pros and cons. Understanding your workplace rights and legal protections can help you determine what’s important to disclose. Make sure you know who to turn to when communicating your diagnosis, whether that be HR, your direct manager, or Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). 

Depending on who you disclose your concerns to, the outcomes may vary. Perhaps you find comfort in sharing your feelings with a trusted colleague, or maybe you’re asking your manager to make workplace accommodations. Regardless, understanding goals for divulging personal information can help you maintain privacy while achieving effective outcomes.

How to request and implement workplace accommodations

Depending on your specific requests, reasonable accommodations are legally protected under the ADA. Understanding this can help you stay firm in the face of resistance and communicate to employers that your mental health needs are a priority. 

When asking for accommodations, approach the conversation compassionately, professionally, and politely. Retrieve documentation of your mental health disorder, know your rights, outline specifics, ask for updates, and reassure management that this will increase productivity overall. 

If approved, you’ll then submit a formal written request, and your employer might ask for that medical documentation you prepared. Once the accommodations are set in place, be sure to continue dialogue, maintain performance, and periodically assess the effectiveness of your new and improved environment to ensure they’re meeting both your needs and your employers.

Related: Understanding and Supporting Depression in Men

Finding Treatment for Depression at Work

Depression treatment is not a one stop shop. Rather, an effective care plan will integrate a myriad of treatments, modalities, and emotional regulation techniques to give you the best chance at achieving psychological wellness.

Therapeutic approaches

In regards to career-related concerns and depression in the workplace, there are several types of therapy that you may benefit from. These include: 

• Traditional talk therapy where you can discuss work-related stress and career concerns in an open, confidential, and compassionate space.
• Occupational therapy with a focus on managing mood in the workplace. 
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a focus on negative work-related beliefs or self-talk . 
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with a focus on mental adaptivity and managing stress when aspects of your job don’t go as planned. 
• Dialectic behavior therapy (DBT) with a focus on effective communication among coworkers and building emotional resilience in the face of workplace stress.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy doesn’t come with the side effects associated with antidepressants. However, TMS for depression does require attending regular treatment appointments for a period — which may be difficult if you have a job — so ask if this treatment can be accommodated.

Regardless of the depression therapy you choose, finding the right therapist and understanding your mental health goals can be an effective way to start.

Medication

Antidepressants can be effective in managing depression in all settings. However, a medication management service can be effective particularly for workplace depression, as psychiatrists will strategize dosages and pinpoint what time you should take them to provide the highest chance at efficacy. A psychiatrist can also write different prescriptions if a certain type of antidepressant is increasing anxiety at work, making it more difficult to focus, or causing fatigue that makes it harder to fulfill professional responsibilities.

Holistic modalities

Holistic modalities for workplace depression offer alternative treatment approaches that can work in tandem with medication and therapy and include: 

• Yoga and meditation can be performed in an open space or grass patch outside at work during breaks. 
• Breathwork can be briefly done at your desk or in a private meeting room.
• Healthy diet and exercise can be achieved by bringing your gym bag to work and packing a nutritious lunch.
• Ergonomic modifications with mind-body awareness.
• Journaling during breaks can help alleviate intrusive thoughts, so consider bringing a notebook.

By addressing the issue of depression comprehensively, you clear the path toward emotional healing and overcome depression.  

Related: What Is Treatment-Resistant Depression? When Standard Care Doesn’t Provide Relief

How Neuro Wellness Spa Can Support Depression in the Workplace 

At Neuro Wellness Spa, we approach mental health treatment comprehensively. We understand that there are various factors at play when it comes to depression at work, so our mental health professionals are well-equipped to uplift and guide you through your mental health struggles. Whether it’s our brief talk therapy program, medication management, or TMS therapy, you can focus on getting the help you need and learning how to communicate any accommodation requests necessary to alleviate your stress. 

If your workplace depression is steadily affecting your job performance, daily stress levels, and overall happiness, know that Neuro Wellness Spa would be honored to help you through this difficult time in your professional journey.

References

1. General, O. O. T. S. (2025, March 13). Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/workplace-well-being/index.html

2. World Health Organization: WHO. (2024, September 2). Mental health at work. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-at-work