Alden Cass This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Yahoo - Trading Stock Broker Stress for Peace

   biz.yahoo.com/rb/020413/bizstr - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/13/2002   Last Visited: 4/13/2002

   The 26-year-old Cass, set to receive his doctorate in clinical psychology in July, took on the mission of identifying and helping troubled brokers at a time when Wall Street was riding high, and unwilling to deal with anyone who wasn't enjoying the party. After two years of bear market trading and the Sept. 11 attacks, Wall Street, too, is searching for answers.
   
   "This is an at-risk population that is completely undernoticed and underserved," Cass said, becoming one of the first champions of a group rarely thought of as in need of a helping hand.
   
   ...
   Cass, working with depressed patients as a student at Florida's Nova Southeastern University in 1999, noticed a 25-year-old friend exhibit depressive symptoms after he began to work as a broker. The friend, so rattled that he made idle threats against executives with tanking stocks in his chats with Cass, quit after one year.
   
   "I watched as my friend turned from this laid back, easy going, fun-loving kind of guy to someone whose mood seems to parallel that of my patients," he said. "He wasn't laughing anymore."
   
   Cass -- inspired by Mead who lived with South Pacific tribes to better grasp their culture -- headed to Manhattan to determine whether his friend was part of a bigger trend.
   ...
   Cass grabbed coffee with brokers and joined them in downtown bars, fitting in with his clean-cut looks, business suit and brief case. He admitted to brokers he was a psychology student, but still kept in their good graces.
   
   "You have to come at them with more of a business mind-set," Cass said. "You kind of show them the bottom line real quick, how it's beneficial for them from a productivity standpoint. You just throw those key words in there, instead of talking about how they are feeling right now."
   
   After a month of field work, Cass asked human resources at brokerage houses to help him with a study that would gauge the strain on their brokers. But admitting to any weakness in personnel that handle piles of cash with split-second decisions was not an enticing proposition.
   
   "It was impossible to break through," Cass said.
   
   Cass finally used cold calls to gather 26 male brokers, 22 to 32 years old from top brokerage houses. He discovered through a questionnaire that 23 percent of the men met the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of major depression, versus 7 percent in the typical male population.
   ...
   Troubled by the high rate of depression in his study and the September attacks that destroyed the heart of New York's financial district, Cass founded a firm called Schachter Cass Associates to help brokerages identify and treat brokers suffering from problems like depression and anxiety. He argues a proactive stance to mental health can only be helpful, cutting absenteeism and disability costs as well as boosting company loyalty and productivity.
   
   After all, his study revealed that the 26 stock brokers spend an average of 12 hours at work, smoked on average about two packs of cigarettes, and downed almost two drinks each day. The individuals reported suffering from either the flu or a virus, about four times per year.
   
   Cass declined to comment on what brokerage houses have expressed interest in his new company, but he's got at least one proponent in his battle to get Wall Street in touch with its feelings.
   
   "I do believe if the brokers had someone like Alden telling them they are not alone that it can't hurt and it can offer some comfort," said Manto, who endured an unhappy career as a broker.
   ...
   Manto, one of the 26 men who took part in Cass's 1999 study, decided to change his life after Sept. 11.

2. 2. Wired News

   www.wired.com/news/reuters/sto - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/13/2002   Last Visited: 4/14/2002

   The 26-year-old Cass, set to receive his doctorate in clinical psychology in July, took on the mission of identifying and helping troubled brokers at a time when Wall Street was riding high, and unwilling to deal with anyone who wasn't enjoying the party. After two years of bear market trading and the Sept. 11 attacks, Wall Street, too, is searching for answers.
   
   "This is an at-risk population that is completely undernoticed and underserved," Cass said, becoming one of the first champions of a group rarely thought of as in need of a helping hand.
   
   ...
   Cass, working with depressed patients as a student at Florida's Nova Southeastern University in 1999, noticed a 25-year-old friend exhibit depressive symptoms after he began to work as a broker. The friend, so rattled that he made idle threats against executives with tanking stocks in his chats with Cass, quit after one year.
   
   "I watched as my friend turned from this laid back, easy going, fun-loving kind of guy to someone whose mood seems to parallel that of my patients," he said. "He wasn't laughing anymore."
   
   Cass -- inspired by Mead who lived with South Pacific tribes to better grasp their culture -- headed to Manhattan to determine whether his friend was part of a bigger trend.
   ...
   Cass grabbed coffee with brokers and joined them in downtown bars, fitting in with his clean-cut looks, business suit and brief case. He admitted to brokers he was a psychology student, but still kept in their good graces.
   
   "You have to come at them with more of a business mind-set," Cass said. "You kind of show them the bottom line real quick, how it's beneficial for them from a productivity standpoint. You just throw those key words in there, instead of talking about how they are feeling right now."
   
   After a month of field work, Cass asked human resources at brokerage houses to help him with a study that would gauge the strain on their brokers. But admitting to any weakness in personnel that handle piles of cash with split-second decisions was not an enticing proposition.
   
   "It was impossible to break through," Cass said.
   
   Cass finally used cold calls to gather 26 male brokers, 22 to 32 years old from top brokerage houses. He discovered through a questionnaire that 23 percent of the men met the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of major depression, versus 7 percent in the typical male population.
   ...
   Troubled by the high rate of depression in his study and the September attacks that destroyed the heart of New York's financial district, Cass founded a firm called Schachter Cass Associates to help brokerages identify and treat brokers suffering from problems like depression and anxiety. He argues a proactive stance to mental health can only be helpful, cutting absenteeism and disability costs as well as boosting company loyalty and productivity.
   
   After all, his study revealed that the 26 stock brokers spend an average of 12 hours at work, smoked on average about two packs of cigarettes, and downed almost two drinks each day. The individuals reported suffering from either the flu or a virus, about four times per year.
   
   Cass declined to comment on what brokerage houses have expressed interest in his new company, but he's got at least one proponent in his battle to get Wall Street in touch with its feelings.
   
   "I do believe if the brokers had someone like Alden telling them they are not alone that it can't hurt and it can offer some comfort," said Manto, who endured an unhappy career as a broker.
   ...
   Manto, one of the 26 men who took part in Cass's 1999 study, decided to change his life after Sept. 11.

3. 3. Yahoo - FEATURE-Trading stock broker stress for peace of mind

   biz.yahoo.com/rf/020409/bizfea - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/9/2002   Last Visited: 4/9/2002

   The 26-year-old Cass, set to receive his doctorate in clinical psychology in July, took on the mission of identifying and helping troubled brokers at a time when Wall Street was riding high, and unwilling to deal with anyone who wasn't enjoying the party. After two years of bear market trading and the Sept. 11 attacks, Wall Street, too, is searching for answers.
   
   "This is an at-risk population that is completely undernoticed and underserved," Cass said, becoming one of the first champions of a group rarely thought of as in need of a helping hand.
   
   ...
   Cass, working with depressed patients as a student at Florida's Nova Southeastern University in 1999, noticed a 25-year-old friend exhibit depressive symptoms after he began to work as a broker. The friend, so rattled that he made idle threats against executives with tanking stocks in his chats with Cass, quit after one year.
   
   "I watched as my friend turned from this laid back, easy going, fun-loving kind of guy to someone whose mood seems to parallel that of my patients," he said. "He wasn't laughing anymore."
   
   Cass -- inspired by Mead who lived with South Pacific tribes to better grasp their culture -- headed to Manhattan to determine whether his friend was part of a bigger trend.
   ...
   Cass grabbed coffee with brokers and joined them in downtown bars, fitting in with his clean-cut looks, business suit and brief case. He admitted to brokers he was a psychology student, but still kept in their good graces.
   
   "You have to come at them with more of a business mind-set," Cass said. "You kind of show them the bottom line real quick, how it's beneficial for them from a productivity standpoint. You just throw those key words in there, instead of talking about how they are feeling right now."
   
   After a month of field work, Cass asked human resources at brokerage houses to help him with a study that would gauge the strain on their brokers. But admitting to any weakness in personnel that handle piles of cash with split-second decisions was not an enticing proposition.
   
   "It was impossible to break through," Cass said.
   
   Cass finally used cold calls to gather 26 male brokers, 22 to 32 years old from top brokerage houses. He discovered through a questionnaire that 23 percent of the men met the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of major depression, versus 7 percent in the typical male population.
   ...
   Troubled by the high rate of depression in his study and the September attacks that destroyed the heart of New York's financial district, Cass founded a firm called Schachter Cass Associates to help brokerages identify and treat brokers suffering from problems like depression and anxiety. He argues a proactive stance to mental health can only be helpful, cutting absenteeism and disability costs as well as boosting company loyalty and productivity.
   
   After all, his study revealed that the 26 stock brokers spend an average of 12 hours at work, smoked on average about two packs of cigarettes, and downed almost two drinks each day. The individuals reported suffering from either the flu or a virus, about four times per year.
   
   Cass declined to comment on what brokerage houses have expressed interest in his new company, but he's got at least one proponent in his battle to get Wall Street in touch with its feelings.
   
   "I do believe if the brokers had someone like Alden telling them they are not alone that it can't hurt and it can offer some comfort," said Manto, who endured an unhappy career as a broker.
   ...
   Manto, one of the 26 men who took part in Cass's 1999 study, decided to change his life after Sept. 11.