While carolers may chant joyfully about the holidays being the most wonderful time of the year, many workers find themselves singing the blues during the winter months.
One in 10 people will experience depression at some time in their lives, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This not only inflicts suffering on individuals and families, it costs employers $44 billion annually in lost productivity. Depression also is the fifth-most common cause of disability claims after cancer, pregnancy complications, back and cardiovascular issues.
Unfortunately, because of the stigma still associated with a diagnosis of depression and the typical insurance and access problems presented by attempting to get in touch with a mental health professional, the first stop for most people struggling with this condition is rarely an expert in the field.
According to the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, those with symptoms of depression typically go to their primary care physician. Even if that doctor is astute enough to identify the root cause of the patient's ailments and prescribes antidepressants, four out of 10 people stop taking them before they have any measurable effect.
The Partnership also found that people who are depressed but not treated consume two to four times the health care resources as those who are properly treated. A large reason for this is that depression is a chronic condition, with 50% of those who are initially diagnosed likely to have a recurrence. Many of those subsequent episodes of depression can be more intense, leading to disability and its costs to both employers and taxpayers.
The good news is employers can address this problem head on, and at relatively low cost.
The first step is already embedded in the fabric of most companies an employee assistance program. Based on a behavioral risk survey conducted by our organization in 2012, 97% of employers surveyed had an existing EAP program.
But as prevalent as EAPs are, they are woefully underutilized. Employers can do a better job of communicating the services they provide and, crucially, that use is confidential and has no impact on an employees work status just like any other health care. Employers might want to consider a different way to communicate the benefits an EAP program because they too have become stigmatized. Perhaps even a name change is due.
When HR departments do effectively communicate about EAP, the results are impressive. Employers can receive a significant ROI from outreach and enhanced treatment of depressed workers for a cost of only $100 to $400 for low- to moderate-intensity interventions.
The second step is one that has been effectively applied to cancers and other diseases increased screening. In addition to identifying issues early, screening tools are also effective in monitoring depression. Increased screening results include better adherence to treatment programs, decreased use and abuse of narcotics and alcohol, lower inpatient and outpatient days, and decreased absenteeism.
Finally, employers can put a greater reliance on psychotherapy as part of workers compensation. Several workers compensation payers are already using cognitive behavioral therapy for claimants who suffer from depression that hinders their recovery and return-to-work. A recent study conducted in the Netherlands and published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that employees absent due to common mental health disorders returned to the job on average 65 days earlier and saved employers an average of $5,275 when provided work-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
The holidays are an important time of year for individuals, families and the businesses that provide the incomes to support them. Joyous holidays free of depression not only lift the spirit. They also lift the bottom line. Employers can take a few easy steps to help improve this season for their own employees and for all who depend upon a thriving and productive economy.
Terri L. Rhodes is executive director of the Disability Management Employer Coalition.
