When I train managers as coaches I always warn them to respect the power of coaching questions and to recognize the possibility that what starts as an innocuous, business related conversation, may lead to the unveiling of a deeper issue. Coaching managers would be advised to develop at least a little insight into the signs of abnormal psychology. Consider for example, depression: Depression is a widespread disorder which about 10% of men and 20% of women can expect to suffer at least once on their lives.

There are many signs and symptoms which even the untrained could recognize as indicators of depression:

Emotional Signs:

Guilt, misery, despair

Cognitive Signs:

Self-blame, Negative self-talk, Dejection

Motivational Signs:

Loss of energy, sex drive or appetite

Physical Signs:

Headache, Dizziness, Fatigue

There are several psychological theories concerning the causes of depression:

Psychoanalytical:

Freud (1917) interpreted depression as a reaction to loss. He suggested that people with depression are much more dependent on other people for approval and positive self-esteem and that when this is missing or withheld depression is likely.

Behavioural:

These theories suggest that depression results from a lack of reinforcement, i.e. the care and understanding of family and friends. Unfortunately this creates a vicious circle in that depressive behaviour often serves to further alienate family and friends.

Cognitive:

Beck (1967) found that it was people's self-perception; how they viewed themselves and the world around them that influenced the likelihood of suffering depression. He suggests that depressed people work with false logic and that treatment therefore needs to concentrate on their thought processes.

Physiological:

In the western world much energy and research has gone into establishing biochemical causes and cures for depression as our high usage of drugs such as Prozac and tranquillizers illustrates.

Depression has been likened to the common cold of psychological conditions. It would seem a lasting cure may be just as elusive. Doesn't it make you fed up?

What then of a manager who uncovers these signs while coaching around time management or budgeting? Best advice would seem to be to keep to good coaching principles. Ask questions designed to raise awareness, generate responsibility and build trust then listen carefully and attentively to the responses. This is highly unlikely to make things worse and may actually do quite a lot of good.

After that, it's a question of referring the coachee to the relevant professional. For this reason I recommend that all coaching managers familiarize themselves with their organization's welfare procedure.