Mental health medication side effects at work

Millions of Americans struggle with mental health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, or depression. One of the most common treatments for these conditions is medication; and for many, medication is a critical intervention that can improve lives. However, not everyone can take psychiatric medications because, like most drugs, these medications come with side effects that can interfere with the ability to do one’s job safely. Due to regulations in some industries, taking psychiatric medication can even be a cause for termination. The result is that for millions of employees who work in certain industries — aviation, for example — psychiatric medication simply isn’t a treatment option. However, there are alternatives to medication that can keep employees and the people they serve each day safe.

Mental health medications can conflict with some skilled professions

Every year, over 20% of people experience a mental health condition. And for those who receive treatment, 82% are prescribed medication, making drugs the most common intervention for mental health conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, and depression. However, 58% of people taking medication for mental health experience moderately severe side effects. Because of the potential for experiencing side effects, pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) are almost entirely prohibited from taking medications to treat mental health conditions; the FAA has deemed them not compatible with aviation duties. In certain cases, pilots struggling with anxiety or depression may be permitted to use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but only under strict conditions that include close monitoring by an FAA medical examiner, twice-yearly medical reviews, and cognitive testing to ensure medication is not interfering with the safe job performance.

While none of these medications would be on the market if they were broadly unsafe, regulations do place limits on use for people performing certain duties. Pilots and ATCs have intensive, demanding jobs where thousands of lives are on the line each day, and the potential for certain types of side effects poses too much of a risk. Meanwhile, people working in other professions may not be subject to official regulations, but it’s understood that the side effects of medications can impair abilities. Truck and bus drivers, train conductors, those operating heavy machinery, and manufacturing workers all may want to avoid side effects such as drowsiness even if medication isn’t restricted by their employer or industry — meaning they may be avoiding getting care for their mental health condition.

How medication side effects can hold people back from addressing their mental health

While for many, mental health medications represent a path back to healthy living, for others, the side effects can be disruptive. The most common side effects of antidepressants, which are prescribed for depression as well as anxiety and insomnia, include nausea and drowsiness. People taking anti-anxiety medication could experience blurred vision, confusion, dizziness, and problems with thinking and coordination. Side effects of prescription sleeping pills include daytime memory and performance problems, dizziness and lightheadedness, and prolonged drowsiness. Research also shows that using some psychiatric medications can impair cognitive and psychomotor functions affecting detection, information processing, and decision-making processes.

If an employee experiences any of these side effects, it can have a profound impact on their ability to do certain jobs, as the FAA considers drowsiness and impaired cognitive function as risk factors for “seriously degrading pilot performance” — even if the individual feels like they’re alert and functioning. And with other professions, despite the absence of regulations, certain side effects may pose a risk: Surgeons, for example, can’t take the risk of having blurry vision or impaired coordination. Forklift operators need to avoid anything that might make them dizzy or lightheaded.

Digital treatments: safe and effective non-drug care options

Medication is the most common intervention for mental health conditions. However, because they can come with side effects, medications are not a viable option for many individuals. While psychiatric drugs can be helpful and even life-saving for many people, others are left to grapple with a choice: Take the risk of experiencing side effects while on the job, or forgo what, for many, is the only form of mental health treatment available. Side effects may be one of the reasons that as many as 75% of patients say they’d prefer something other than medication for their mental health condition.

Digital treatments lift the barrier to mental health care imposed by medication side effects. Because digital treatments are non-drug interventions, they can offer the effectiveness of evidence-based care without the risk of serious side effects. And while some may need interventions beyond digital treatments to resolve their mental health conditions, digital care is an effective choice for when medication is not an option. Employees shouldn’t have to choose between caring for mental health conditions and being safe at work. That’s why, when it comes to mental health care, the more options available to employees, the better. And digital treatments like Daylight for anxiety and Sleepio for insomnia are highly effective, convenient, and low-risk solutions.

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Sleepio and Daylight are being made available as treatments for insomnia disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), respectively, without a prescription. Sleepio and Daylight have not been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of insomnia disorder and GAD, respectively.

DOC-848 Effective 07/2023