For employees who suffer from serious mental illnesses, the holiday season magnifies their anxieties and depression, often leading to issues at work including absenteeism and a drop in productivity. Many companies offer mental health services via their employee assistance programs.

Already this holiday season workers have been flocking to such programs for mental health help, says Rich Chaifetz, CEO of ComPsych, one of the largest EAP providers in the country.

“We’ve seen an increase in the use of EAP services because people are already going into the holiday feeling their pocket books are much tighter, pressured by credit card debt and the subprime mortgage issue,” explains Chaifetz. Generally, he adds, “we’re seeing more reporting of people in sad moods, and for people who are prone to depression, it’s more severe this season.”

Employees, he points out, can get help from their EAP on a confidential basis, and should do so ASAP “before the depression gets worse.” As for telling your boss, he advises workers not to be too candid about depression but “if it’s necessary, tell your manager you have personal things you’re dealing with and you’re talking to someone to resolve them.”