Procurement Ponderable: Dealing with anxiety and depression

The webinar that Norma Hall, Darin Matthews, and I presented in September 2020 on “Dealing with Anxiety and Depression” was among the most meaningful learning events each of us has facilitated during our careers.  And, the three of us have facilitated a lot of seminars, conference sessions, and webinars. The completed evaluation forms indicated the webinar also was helpful to those of you who attended. The results of the evaluation and the fact that more than 440 of you showed up for the event speak loudly of the relevance of the topic.

Here are the evaluation survey results for the question, “Based on this presentation, how confident are you in your skills and abilities to be able to” do five things that were listed.

• Nearly 99 percent of the attendees said they felt “confident” (81.25 percent) or “somewhat confident” (17.5 percent) they could “explain why it is essential to recognize that frequently-occurring anxiety and severe and prolonged depression must be taken seriously.”
• Between 97 percent and 98 percent indicated they were “confident” (80 percent) or “somewhat confident” (17.5) discussing “how frequently-occurring anxiety and severe and prolonged depression can manifest themselves.”
• Close to 99 percent reported they felt “confident” (77.5 percent) or “somewhat confident” (21.25 percent) they could “identify where individuals who struggle with frequently-occurring anxiety and prolonged depression can obtain assistance and support.”
• Barely short of 99 percent said they were comfortable (75 percent) or “somewhat comfortable” (23.75 percent) they could “apply what [was] learned in this webinar to help [themselves] and others.”
• Even closer to 99 percent said they were “confident” (70.51 percent) or “somewhat confident” (28.21 percent)

Talking openly about our own personal experiences in dealing with anxiety and depression was not easy for Darin, Norma, or me; but we hope it served several purposes. One of those purposes was to demonstrate that anyone can experience anxiety and depression, either directly or indirectly. Another was to show the attendees how essential it is for them to reach out for support should they find themselves struggling with anxiety and depression, and to encourage others who are struggling with those disorders.

If you were not able to attend the webinar, you can listen to a recording of it on the NIGP website at https://zoom.us/rec/share/4OZpsCeqTN5x8VjwK5XLdA-eqdzUpZjiuw8KiaPam1kepCXmNj2eD2szpOGa0I9R.UgHnSQ2Ka9x0uWl_?startTime=1600797582000.  If, after having attending the webinar live or recorded, you believe this topic would be a good focus for a chapter or other organization to which you belong, consider assembling your own panel of members to discuss their experiences dealing with anxiety and depression. Feel free to drawn from and build upon the slide deck the three of us used.

Stephen B. Gordon, PhD, FNIGP, CPPO, is a longtime veteran of the public procurement arena. His primary focus in retirement is on helping those who struggle with loneliness, anxiety and depression.