A new Griffith University research project could offer a solution for people struggling to cope with the combined demands of work life and personal life.
It is known that 60 per cent of people who report being depressed are employed, and Griffith University researcher Dr Leanne Casey believes that many of these people are not getting any help.
Based at the Mt Gravatt campus, Dr Casey has come up with an innovative program designed for employed people who are battling the blues but who don’t feel they have the time to seek help.
“If someone is feeling overwhelmed by the demands of the workplace and the demands on their personal life and are not sure how to deal with it all, this specifically designed program could offer a solution,” Dr Casey said.
“Financial uncertainty is rife and people are often reluctant to seek help for depression because they think it’s going to be expensive and will take up a lot of their time.
“But this program is a cost-effective, time-limited way to learn adaptive strategies that help people deal with their difficulties and effectively use their time.”
The program, called ‘Finding the Balance’, is part of a research project at the School of Applied Psychology where a team of researchers is investigating effective and accessible ways to deliver assistance to employed people experiencing problems in mood.
‘Finding the Balance’ is designed to improve mood and prevent future problems by helping people understand themselves better in relation to their work and life in general.
The program involves eight modules over eight weeks and will be delivered in two formats, either in an online or group format, Dr Casey said.
“Participants will be assessed on their mood and workplace functioning at the start, during and at the end of the project. These two groups will also be compared to a third group who will remain on a waitlist for 12 weeks, before participating in the program themselves.”
Participation is voluntary and will require payment of a $160 non-refundable fee to cover costs associated with running the study.
Anyone interested in finding out more, can go to www.findingthebalance.com.au, or email the research team at [email protected] or phone the research team on 0466 992 013.