While those suffering depression may want to leave work, one doctor is saying to reconsider staying at work may be the thing that saves you.

A British Columbia psychologist was in Whitehorse for Mental Illness Awareness Week this week, discussing the impact of depression in the workplace.

'Work is really good for us, except when it isn't,' said Dr. Merv Gilbert.

'And I've been there, we've all been there.'

Gilbert was speaking to approximately 40 audience members at a Thursday afternoon lecture at Hellaby Hall. He gave two other lectures that day as well.

'Work does not cause depression, I want to be clear,' he said. Work environments can impact depression, but the illness, which is now being addressed as chronic in his field, develops over time.

'Being happy at work isn't necessarily a job requirement anymore,' he said.

Employees suffering depression therefore often go unnoticed, and the effects are thus more powerful and negative both for the employee, and the business he or she works for.

Disability payments and time off can hurt a company, while personal depression spirals and isolation can hurt the sufferer even moreso.

At the same time, work can be a saving grace, said Gilbert. 'It provides social interaction,' suggested one female audience member.

'Right,' said Gilbert. 'Anything else?'

'A sense of purpose,' said one.

'Routine and structure,' said another. Gilbert introduced Natalie, who shared her experiences with depression and the workplace.

'I have had depression since 1993, and I have had one major episode,' she said.

'I knew I had it, but I didn't deal with it.'

She said she kept her problems inside, and though she suspects co-workers and her employers noticed changes, no one spoke up. She decided to go off work, which sent her in a downward spiral.

'I crashed. I was hospitalized for four or five months. It then took me over two years to get back into the workforce,' she said.

'It was difficult because I didn't look like I had anything wrong. I was afraid people would look at me and think I was just milking the system.

'It would have meant a lot if co-workers had said to me, Hey, I know you're going through a tough time, and I just want you to know that I'm here for you.' '

Gilbert asked the audience, 'If a co-worker was in the hospital with cancer, would you contact them? Send them a card? Why is depression any different?'

Gilbert opened up the floor to more audience questions. Many wanted to know how to breach issues of mental health in the workplace, without being 'inappropriate.'

'The person themself may not be aware of what's happening with them,' said one woman. 'They may not have acknowledged their state of mind.'

'Right,' said Gilbert. 'You don't have depression', that thing' until you got into a doctor's office and get a diagnosis. People might not get necessary treatment without a diagnosis.'

Gilbert said in the workplace, conversations about mental health need to happen more often, to open up the dialogue and steer people in the right direction, before it's too late.

Managers and employers need to do their part to monitor the mental health of their employees, offering solutions and help when necessary, he said.