Mental Health in the IT Workplace

Abstract

Everyone has their own personal struggles, and we are in the habit, for better or for worse, of powering through them. But is that the right approach? Sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, to name but a few, are frighteningly commonplace amongst the general populace. To deny that these conditions exist in the workplace would seem to be foolish. The important question is, is this reality acknowledged? Are there support structures in place to help us address mental health issues when they arise? After all, healthier employees are in everyone's best interest: company, client, and of course, the individuals themselves. This panel will be comprised of members of the SIGUCCS community who currently experience, or have experienced, some form of mental health issue that they feel has had an impact on their professional (and personal) lives. We'll talk about how these conditions manifested themselves, the impact that they had or are having on our work, and what we did or are doing to address them. We'll also talk about the importance of support structures in our workplace, whether they existed in our personal experiences or not. Please join us in what we hope to be a safe environment for an important conversation.