Comprehensive treatment for depression may reduce absenteeism and improve productivity, according to a new study.
In the study, 326 full- or part-time workers who were diagnosed with depression were treated with either standard treatment or “enhanced treatment,†defined as a combination of counseling, medication, coaching and constant contact and program modifications as needed. The enhanced-care group increased productivity by 6.1 percent over two years, for a cost savings of $1,982 per year for each consistently employed depressed worker, reports CBSNews.com. Absenteeism was also reduced by 28.4 percent, a $619 per-worker yearly savings.