The Effects of E-mental Health Program and Job Coaching on the Risk of Major Depression and Productivity in Canadian Male Workers

There is a pressing need for innovation in prevention of major depression in male workers. Major depression (MDE) affects workers' health and productivity. In the United States, workers with depression cost an estimated US $44.01 billion per year in lost productivity. One of the severe consequences of having MDE is potential suicide and Canadian national data showed that 76% of all suicides in 2009 were male. In the workplace, risk factors for having MDE differ for men and women. For instance, job strain, family to work conflict and job insecurity seem to be more prominent MDE risk factors in men than in women. Compounding men's risk, men are less likely than women to seek help and to disclose depressive symptoms and often delay help seeking until symptoms become severe. Men are socialized to be emotionally stoic and exemplify traditional masculine characteristics such as independence, self-reliance and dominance. Men are concerned over the perceived negative judgments from family and friends if they access treatment for depression. These gender specific experiences along with a limited knowledge base about effective interventions call for innovative solutions tailored for men. The proposed study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an e-mental health program on reducing the risk of major depression in Canadian working men.