A study by AdvancePCS reveals that depressed workers cost U.S. employers $44 billion - Drug Cost Studies in Brief - Brief Article

Drug Cost Management Report, August 29, 2003

* A study by AdvancePCS reveals that depressed workers cost U.S. employers $44 billion in lost productivity, compared with $13 billion for workers who are not depressed. The study estimates that 9.4% of workers struggle with depression. Study author Walter Stewart, Ph.D., M.P.H., says the majority of the lost productive time occurs while employees are at work, which has been an invisible cost to employers until now.

In addition, the study found that medication use for depression was relatively low, less than 33%. The Depressive Disorders Study is a sub-survey of the American Productivity Audit. It was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. For more information contact Dale Thomas at AdvancePCS, (480) 614-7212.