This article was written for Depression Alliance for the launch of jfo. It first appeared in the September 2004 edition of A Single Step, the charity's magazine for members. Depression Alliance is the leading UK charity for people with depression.
Reproduced with kind permission, download scanned article page 1 page 2

The ‘Other’ 1 in 5
by Jo Anne Brown

One in five. Not only is this the chance of being affected by depression at some point in your life, it is also the number of people who are currently suffering from workplace bullying (Source: Monster). Not everyone who is bullied will get depression, and not everyone who will get depression will have been bullied, however, how many of the depressed 1 in 5 is directly due to some form of bullying, be it school, relationship or work bullying, does need to be considered.

Being bullied at work can involve constant criticism, being ridiculed in front of others, expected to work excessive hours, belittled, degraded, treated unfairly, threatened, taunted, teased, overloaded with work or alternatively having work and authority removed and replaced with menial tasks – the list goes on but you get an idea of what it may feel like.

Initially, you may resist and fight, after all you’ve done nothing wrong, but over time this slow drip drip approach can sap your energy, confidence and self-esteem. Many employers say they do not condone bullying and have policies against it, the reality however is somewhat different in a very high majority of cases. ‘Delay, delay, delay’ or ‘deny, deny, deny’ are two of the most common mantra’s heard by employees who complain, other tactics used in some instances actually mirror those the bullies use, such as projection and deflection.

In cases where a complaint is looked into, the investigator may have no experience and the bully may use his ability to lie convincingly and appear charming when needed. An employer may also fear a grievance being proven, as this may lead to litigation against them. This hardly allows the person a fighting chance to resolve the issue, either in the workplace or psychologically. Ironically for employers, resolving the issue in many cases may minimise the risk of litigation or the potential value of it, as a person may recover quicker and with resolution, may not feel the need to litigate.

In terms of health, an estimated 72% of those who experienced workplace bullying suffered from work-related stress, a third lost confidence and 20% suffered with depression (Source: IPD Survey 1996). Some psychologists believe that we become depressed when we begin to feel that we can no longer control what happens to us. Looking at what bullying is, the ultimate aim is just that - the bully wants (and takes) all the power and control. Therefore those who are targeted are at a high risk of being bullied into depression, failures by employers and managers may compound the suffering further.

Many people do not understand bullying and its effects, unless or until it happens to them. A good manager will empower an employee to do well, not make them powerless. Some health professionals cannot comprehend that it can cause so much stress and depression, although it is good to say that there are those who do. If a health professional doesn’t take it seriously, the lack of empathy, support and validation so desperately needed may allow the feelings of injustice to continue.

A person may find it difficult to understand how bullying can happen to them, many do not recognise it for what it is, many are ashamed. Add to this the mental health stigma attached to depression and it is not surprising that many do not report the bullying and its effects, either to their employer or GP. The sense of shame is often driven by the lack of answers to many questions - why couldn’t it be stopped, why did no one listen or believe, why did no one help, why has this person got away with it? If all of these issues remain unresolved, it may foster a belief that the person really must be what the bully said or implied - not good at their job, worthless, powerless etc. And so the spiral into depression continues…

What is needed at this time is validation of the experience, support and good advice on how to handle the many issues it raises. Part of the problem is that bullying infects so many areas of a persons life. Outside of the employer/health systems, there are many bullying websites that look at the work environment, but none cater for the whole experience. The last thing someone so battered and bruised needs is to have to hunt out all the information, some of which you need, but don’t actually know you need!

Realising that those who suffer from workplace bullying needed a ‘one-stop shop’, a major new workplace bullying project has been launched to address this. jfo aims to cover the diverse areas of work (often the only or main area focused on), health, litigation, support, financial and campaigning. It is only partially complete but already the website is substantial, each area already has many sections, with plenty more to come!

Recognising the cost and expertise needed to have a website, jfo is also hosting websites for bullying support groups free of charge. Currently, 5 support groups are hosted plus the Support Group Network, which was created to link all the groups around the world to campaign together and to help anyone who wanted to set up a new support group.

The feedback from jfo has so far been very positive, including the professionals. jfo will reproduce any relevant work that has already been done, with permission. Current permission for work and offers of help have come from all over the world and include employment consultants, doctors, psychologists, sociologists and many other experts and charitable organisations, Depression Alliance included – thank you!

The additional benefit of an interactive database allows the emphasis to be very much on give and take, and sharing. To take the idea of empowering people further, jfo is a user-led community project. Any user can get involved, from collating information to writing whole sections. The concept of jfo aims to give people back something they lost – power, control, self-esteem, confidence. Although jfo cannot reduce the 1 in 5, it can help each one of those to ‘just fight on’ in a better way.

Jo Anne Brown is the founder of Just Fight On!. She suffered a major depressive episode and was ill-health retired at the age of 35 after suffering from workplace bullying.