Awareness of mental health issues is at an all-time high. According to Johns Hopkins University, 1 in 4 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a mental health condition annually.¹ Globally, it's estimated that 1 in 7 people are afflicted by mental illness or a substance use disorder.² Serious mental illness costs Americans $193 billion in lost earnings annually,³ and we see articles and news stories daily about how the COVID‑19 pandemic has affected many individual’s mental health.

For those of us in the Disability Claims arena, we know that mental health impacts the claims we see.

To highlight awareness of this important issue, I sat down with Jim Carlon, a partner in a law firm, for a discussion about his personal journey with his own mental health crisis. Jim shares with us how working, including authoring a book, helped him on his journey. The discussion showcases the positive impact of work on mental health – and provides claims managers with some communication tools to assist with claims management.

Thank you to Jim Carlon, Partner, Diserio Martin O’Connor & Castiglioni LLP, for your tips and advice for claims professionals and companies. Based in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Jim handles commercial real estate transactions throughout the U.S. He represents developers in construction and permanent financing, acquisitions, sales and other sophisticated transactions, as well as commercial real estate owners and tenants in lease transactions.

Endnotes

1. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics; https://www.apa.org
2. https://ourworldindata.org/global-mental-health
3. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/mental-disorders-cost-society-billions-unearned-income