The latest study on antidepressants and absenteeism is enough to make anyone depressed.
The study, conducted by Thompson Reuters and published in this month’s Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that even when employees suffering from depression are treated with antidepressants, they tend to have longer absences from work and higher short-term disability costs.
I have a history of depression and currently take antidepressants to keep it in check. For years, though, I fought to work through symptoms on my own, fearing that an official diagnosis and history of treatment would follow me around like a dark cloud, casting a shadow on my career and my prospects of getting — and keeping — health insurance.
Looking back, I wish I hadn’t been so afraid, because I could have saved myself a lot of pain and suffering. Still, the findings of this new study make me think that my fear wasn’t totally unfounded. Even as I sit here writing this post, I’m questioning the wisdom of discussing my health issues on this blog that not only goes online for the whole world to read, but is owned and operated by my employer.
Still, I’m writing because this is an important topic, and beyond the bad news in the study, there is good news that employers and employees should note.
The problem is not that employees suffering from depression are bad or unreliable workers, but that antidepressants aren’t a cure-all for this debilitating disease. First, as the study’s authors point out, it often takes time to go through the trial-and-error process of finding the right antidepressant, or combination of medications, to help an individual. Second, as many other studies have found, and this study’s authors say, a combination of medication and therapy is more likely to succeed in treating depression than antidepressants alone.
Both of those points were true for me as I worked to get my depression under control. I was lucky to not have to try too many medications before getting it right, but I did spend several years in therapy. Although I’m not in therapy now, I know that it really helped me, and I would go back if I felt myself slipping back toward depression.
I appreciate the conclusion drawn by Suellen Curkendall, director of outcomes research at Thompson Reuters: “Improved care for workers with depression could help reduce the costs of absenteeism and short-term disability. Employers can help [their employees] by ensuring that employees have access to the care they need. One problem is poor adherence to treatment. Out-of-pocket cost may be a barrier to adherence. Also, patients often need to try more than one antidepressant before they find the one that works best for them. So, continuity of care is important.”
I think the goal for employers needs to be to support their employees and help them gain access to a treatment or combination of treatments that best help them feel better and do better at work. Employees, for their part, need to take advantage of available programs and be willing to put in the time to go to therapy if antidepressants don’t work.
How does depression affect your workplace? What is your company doing to help those who suffer from depression? If you are one of those people, how have you handled fighting depression while working?
Image credit, DNY59 via iStock
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Thank you, Brooke, for your bravery in writing about such a sensitive topic. It is such a challenge for a smart working woman to be open about suffering from depression and we would be fools not to admit that it can affect our work. I have had the privilege of working for a company that has allowed for remote work when needed, time for therapy, and constant support. As a result I have continued to excel at my job while becoming a healthier person!
Hi Brooke,
Depression runs in my family, but I didn't know that until I finally went for help in my early 30's. It was interesting that most people didn't think their lives sucked (as I did at least since my early teens). Afterwards, I learned some powerful lessons about the working world, employees, employers, and health insurers. None were pleasant.
I can't speak for your employer, but my depression issues featured in loss of employment from at least one company (20+ years of service). I try to keep a low profile on my depression now, even to the point that I carry my wife's health insurance package rather than my current employer's package. I would not tell my current or future employer (or EAP) about my depression under any circumstances. (EAP's are a nice idea, but they have problems of their own.)
I think that both employers and insurers like to 'push pills' rather than pay for the longer-term (and more expensive) therapy that might actually do the sufferer some good. It's the "American Way." I've found it difficult at times to find an in-network therapist and I have also discovered that insurer's limitations on therapy make it of questionable use. When you know you can only have four sessions before having to somehow shoulder the financial burden by yourself, you tend not to share too much. Why bother when you get maybe four hours of therapy before you have to quit because you can't afford the therapy? It gets worse. As you probably already know, depressed people frequently have a lack of initiative. It's easy to feel even more depressed and defeated when you think that the help offered is barely a Band-Aid for your needs.
That doesn't even address the problem of long-term use of anti-depressants. At least in my case, they decrease in effectiveness over time, which means having to hunt for a new medication or combination that works.
I hope someone takes heed of your column and Ms. Curkendall's conclusion, but I'm afraid I've seen no movement in the 20+ years I've been struggling. My employers haven't really been too interested or concerned, and at least one used it against me. (Don't even think about taking them to court. The standard of proof is so high that I'd never win.)
It seems to me, cynical as it sounds, that any employee that sticks out with an issue like depression is begging to be unemployed (especially if over 40). I've been in the workforce for about 35 years and I've never seen an employer yet that really walked the walk when it came to supporting their employees. It's even worse now than it was before the Great Recession hit. The only thing worse than being depressed is being depressed, over 40, and unemployed. Trust me, I've been there.
If I was fired while being treated for depression, would I be able to collect unemployment?
I witnessed a co-worker battle with depression, and although she was on medication, the work place stress and the obliviousness of her supervisors often made things worse. I think it's beneficial for employers to understand that these problems do exist in the workplace and find ways to be sensitive to the needs of their employees.
People Please…if any employer used depression to fire you, A. that is illegal and they can be sued (just the threat can go a long way), B. yes you could collect unemployment provided that you were fired for this reason and C, do not tip toe around the issue.
I have suffered for many years like the blogger and never did anything about. I finally scared myself so bad with "bad" thoughts that i had to do something. it took a while but know i am on the right mix of medication. i may not have worn a sign aroound my neck advertising my issue but people knew. i was/am treated just like everyone else.
Another issue that a lot of people have is using their own issue as an excuss. in the 15 years that i have worked for my current employer, i can count on hand the number of times i have been out sick. there were many days that i did not want to crawl out of bed but i did.
do not treat people different due to thier situation, if we did that everybody would be treated that way.