title: Impact of depression on work productivity and its improvement after outpatient treatment with antidepressants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depressive disorders influence socioeconomic burden at both the individual and organizational levels. This study estimates the lost productive time (LPT) and its resulting cost among workers with major depressive disorder (MDD) compared with a comparison group. It also estimates the change in productivity after 8 weeks of outpatient psychiatric treatment with antidepressants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Working patients diagnosed with MDD without other major physical or mental disorders were recruited (n = 102), along with age- and sex-matched healthy controls from the Seoul Metropolitan area (n = 91). The World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression were utilized to measure productivity and severity of depression, respectively, at baseline and at 8 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LPT from absenteeism and presenteeism (reduced performance while present at work) was significantly higher among the MDD group. Workers with MDD averaged costs due to LPT at 33.4% of their average annual salary, whereas the comparison group averaged costs of 2.5% of annual salary. After 8 weeks of treatment, absenteeism and clinical symptoms of depression were significantly reduced and associated with significant improvement in self-rated job performance (31.8%) or cost savings of $7508 per employee per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We confirmed that significant productivity loss arises from MDD and that this loss can be reduced with psychiatric intervention after a time period as short as 8 weeks. Mental health professionals should work with employers to devise a cost-effective system to provide workers with accessible quality care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. jongmin.woo@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Won
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae-Yeon
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Byong Hwi
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yong-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Eun-Ho
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Se Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byong-Joo
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ham
authors.forename: Jun-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yu Lee
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents