title: Making the business case for enhanced depression care: the National Institute of Mental Health-harvard Work Outcomes Research and Cost-effectiveness Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Explore the business case for enhanced depression care and establish a return on investment rationale for increased organizational involvement by employer-purchasers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review, focused on the National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored Work Outcomes Research and Cost-effectiveness Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This randomized controlled trial compared telephone outreach, care management, and optional psychotherapy to usual care among depressed workers in large national corporations. By 12 months, the intervention significantly improved depression outcomes, work retention, and hours worked among the employed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of the Work Outcomes Research and Cost-effectiveness Study trial and other studies suggest that enhanced depression care programs represent a human capital investment opportunity for employers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Services and Intervention Research, National Institute of Mental Health, Rockville, MD 20892-9629, USA. wangphi@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kessler
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003863:Depression / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009315:National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.); D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D014481:United States