A work-focused, telephone counseling program for depressed employees not only improves depression, but also leads to increased productivity and decreased costs, reports a study in the February Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Debra Lerner, MS, PhD, of Tufts University and colleagues evaluated the program, called the Work and Health Initiative (WHI). Identified by an anonymous on-line screening survey, 79 Maine State Government employees with depression and reduced job productivity were randomly assigned to the WHI program or usual medical care.