Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Aug 1;20(8):e294-301.

The effect of depression treatment on work productivity

Arne Beck  1 , Lauren A Crain, Leif I Solberg, Jürgen Unützer, Michael V Maciosek, Robin R Whitebird, Rebecca C Rossom
Affiliations

The effect of depression treatment on work productivity

Arne Beck et al. Am J Manag Care. .

Abstract

Objectives: Depression is associated with lowered work functioning, including absence, productivity impairment at work, and decreased job retention. Although high-quality depression treatment provided in clinical trials has been found to reduce symptoms and improve work function, the effectiveness of routine treatment for depression in primary care has received less attention.

Study design: This prospective cohort study investigated the relationship between improvements in both depression symptoms and productivity in outpatients from 77 clinics in Minnesota following routine depression treatment.

Methods: Data were obtained from patients receiving usual care for depression prior to initiation of a statewide quality improvement collaborative called DIAMOND (Depression Improvement Across Minnesota: Offering a New Direction). Patients started on antidepressants were surveyed on depression symptom severity (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]), productivity loss (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire [WPAI]), health status, and demographics. Data were collected again 6 months later to assess changes in depression symptoms and productivity.

Results: Data from 432 employed patients with complete baseline and outcome data showed significant reductions in depression symptoms and increases in productivity (P < .0001) over 6 months. Greater improvements in productivity at 6 months were associated with greater improvement in depression symptoms as well as with greater depression severity (P < .0001) and poorer productivity (P < .0001) at baseline.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated a significant relationship betweenimprovement in depression symptoms and improvements in productivity following routine primary care depression treatment. These findings underscore the benefit of depression care to improve work outcomes and to yield a potential return on healthcare investment to employers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None of the authors of this manuscript have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Productivity Loss (Absenteeism and Presenteeism combined) by PHQ-9 Score at Enrollment* *For comparison purposes, productivity loss norms for individuals without depression or other chronic conditions is 8.0%
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Berndt ER, Finkelstein SN, Greenberg PE, et al. Workplace performance effects from chronic depression and its treatment. J Health Econ. 1998;17:511–535. - PubMed
    1. Kessler RC, Barber C, Birnbaum HG, et al. Depression in the workplace: effects on short-term disability. Health Aff (Millwood ) 1999;18:163–171. - PubMed
    1. Lerner D, Adler DA, Chang H, et al. Unemployment, job retention, and productivity loss among employees with depression. Psychiatr Serv. 2004;55:1371–1378. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lerner D, Adler DA, Chang H, et al. The clinical and occupational correlates of work productivity loss among employed patients with depression. J Occup Environ Med. 2004;46:S46–S55. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Katon W. The impact of depression on workplace functioning and disability costs. Am J Manag Care. 2009;15:S322–S327. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances