Depression effects 20% of women and 10% of men, according to Karen Swartz, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. Symptoms can range from lack of confidence and concentration to loss of interest or pleasure in activities and poor appetite.

On average, there’s an eight-year delay from when people start experiencing depressive symptoms to when they seek help, Swartz says. People are suffering unnecessarily, and they deserve to feel well. “If someone hasn’t experienced a family member or friend with depression, they may not recognize what’s happening to them,” Swartz say. “Talking through these issues with a professional might give them a new perspective on a situation, which could be remarkably helpful.”

To help employees struggling with personal issues, the Johns Hopkins Benefits and Worklife program offers free, professional emotional support services for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System employees and their families. These services are provided by mySupport, which offers assistance ranging from on-site, free counseling sessions to a helping hand with things you may juggle in your life.

Will your manager find out you called mySupport? Kristena Lukish, vice president of human resources for The Johns Hopkins Hospital, stresses that the services are confidential. “That’s one of the advantages of the program,” she says. “You are calling in and speaking with a clinician who will listen, provide support, and help you identify resources and next steps. The whole process is confidential.”

Over time, routine, long-term stress may contribute to serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Healthy at Hopkins also offers resources to help Johns Hopkins employees stress less, such as live webinars on sleeping well and, in September, on how to prevent, identify and treat clinical depression. Employees can find other workshops and resources regarding stress reduction and maintaining healthy blood pressure on the Healthy at Hopkins portal at login.johnshopkins.edu/ healthyathopkins.

No issue is too small or large, says Lukish. “We care about our employees and want them to live healthy lives — on and off the job,” she says. “If we can help them address their problems, we can retain a great worker who might just be having a tough time.”

MYSUPPORT SERVICES

Emotional Support

Employees and their household family members have free, 24/7 access to confidential counseling and referral services for help with stress at work or at home. When you call mySupport, a clinician will listen, provide support, and help you identify resources and next steps. If you choose to arrange a televideo or in-person appointment, mySupport will provide referrals to licensed clinicians in your area. Your first five in-person counseling sessions are free and don’t require use of your health insurance. You and your family members can also opt for an in-person appointment with a member of the mySupport On-Site Clinical Care team at various Johns Hopkins campuses.

Through mySupport, employees and family members also have free access to myStrength, a secure mobile app that provides support for managing depression, anxiety, stress, sleep problems, chronic pain and much more. myStrength is available on Google Play and the App Store. Employees and their family members should use the code JHHS to access myStrength.

Daily Life Assistance

Employees and their household family members have 24/7 telephone access to a daily life assistance counselor who can offer resources and referrals for child care, elder care, pet care, parenting issues — even household help, such as finding a contractor. mySupport can also help you find prenatal care, adoption services, emergency care or help with college searches and other needs. And mySupport offers phone and in-person legal and financial services, such as help with budgeting, managing debt and tax preparation.

You can reach mySupport 24/7, 365 days a year, by phone at 443-997-7000 or at resourcesforliving.com/. For online access, enter JHHS as the username and password.