Depression in the Workplace is Costly

By Bev Rosen



More than 19 million American adults (or 9.5% of the population) suffer from depression, often during their most productive years, which are from 25-44 years of age.

About 70% of these adults are in the workforce. According to the National Mental Health Association, depression ranks among the top three workplace problems, following only family crisis and life stressors. According to various reports, between 5-10% of the U.S. labor force suffers from depression.

Should this statistic be a surprise to senior managers in today's work force? Depression has not been on managers' radar screens as much as it should be. Although not as easily recognizable as carpel tunnel syndrome, depression can be too costly to ignore for employees and employers alike.



Tough Financial Hit

Clinical depression alone costs the U.S. $43.7 billion annually, including workplace costs for absenteeism and lost productivity that reach $23.8 billion. The direct costs for treatment and rehabilitation is $12.4 billion and the loss of expected lifetime earnings due to depression-induced suicides is $7.5 billion, according to figures published in 1993 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Depressed employees are twice as likely to take a sick day, seven times more likely to show decreased productivity and contribute to high rates of disability claims. Additionally, more than $11 billion in other costs accrue from decreased productivity, due to symptoms that sap energy, affect work habits, cause problems with concentration, memory and decision-making (according to the RAND Corporation).

Because of the high rates of untreated depression, the indirect costs of depression are thought to be much higher than the direct costs. If managers look the other way when depression is the cause of work performance problems, they are enabling more suffering, as an employee self-medicates with alcohol or drugs.



Three-Tiered Approach

What can employers do to ensure that employees get the help they need to return to work and produce at a high level?

First, we need to debunk myths about this illness, which make colleagues, supervisors and the organization feel uncomfortable and helpless. Managers and co-workers hide behind a rationale that this is a personal problem and it's not their place to get involved. If we believe that clinical depression is a sign of personal weakness, then we have supported the stigma that has forced individuals suffering from depression to fail to seek treatment.

The most important resource for a depressed employee is a supportive workplace and a competent health professional. Colleagues at work are often in a good position to notice that a workmate is depressed, and we know that the sooner someone consults a professional, the more effective treatment is likely to be with both medication and psychotherapies.

Secondly, organizations need to raise awareness of their support to the depressed employee. Many employees are afraid to talk about their depression because they fear it might affect their job security. If we believe that clinical depression doesn't really affect everyday life, then we are denying that 15% of those with severe clinical depression commit suicide.

Employers should make an effort to alter workplace attitudes toward mental illness, reduce the stigma, encourage the message of treatability and deflect the belief that depression is due to moral or personal failure. Employers can further educate their employees by reproducing and distributing literature that sends the message that effective treatments for depression are available from many organizations.

Thirdly, employers and managers should truly support health education programs about depression. Employers should think about how to promote attendance at depression training programs. We all know that individuals who need information the most may tend to stay away. This is particularly a problem for depressed employees. Employers should also target co-workers who are affected by a depressed teammate and managers should model their commitment by attending the trainings as well. When an employee is depressed it concerns the whole team, whose members feel a sense of bewilderment about the disease.



Getting Involved

We particularly need to provide training to managers about the "hows" of sensitive, effective, appropriate intervention. Inevitably, the signs and symptoms of depression will manifest in workplace performance problems. Managers should not diagnose the program. However, they should be encouraged to seek consultation from their employee assistance program, human resource professionals and other resources. They should be made aware of corporate medical programs and employee health benefits. A depressed employee may need a flexible work schedule during treatment. Managers also need to promote the utilization of health services, such as an internal occupational health department, internal or external employee assistance staff or their human resources/employee relations staff.

Success in the workplace depends on everyone's contributions and it is important to understand that no job category or professional level is immune from depression. Even an outstanding employee can be affected. Managing depression in the workplace is too costly to ignore.



Bev Rosen, principal of Wellness at Work, provides workplace training and consultation for more than 400 companies in the Baltimore-Washington region. She can be reached at 410-583-1847 or bevrosen@ comcast.net.