Benefits May 4, 2001

Depression Costs Time, Productivity

May 4, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Office workers who are depressed are twice as likely to call in sick and miss work compared with their happier colleagues, according to researchers.
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And when they are present, depressed employees are seven times less productive, according to Dr. Benjamin G. Druss of Yale University.

The researchers also noted that among depressed office workers, those with one or more gripes with their healthcare provider were:

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  • 34% more likely to have ongoing symptoms of depression
  • 66% more likely to have decreased effectiveness on the job 2 years later

The investigators surveyed over 6,200 office workers at three different US corporations in 1993 and again in 1995, Reuters reports.

The survey results are published in the May issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

 

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