(PS2-D85) Disorder and Absenteeism: Connecting Workplace Productivity and Internalizing Disorders

Mental health conditions have been shown to affect confidence and identity at work as well as the capacity to be productive and present (World Health Organization, 2022). According to the World Health Organization (2022), an estimated 12 billion working days are lost globally every year due to employee depression and anxiety, at a cost of $1 trillion in lost productivity. Previous research has suggested that treatment for depression and anxiety can produce improvements in employee absenteeism and presenteeism (Rost et al., 2004).

Offering accessible mental health resources, such as digital mental health interventions, may be beneficial for companies looking to support employee mental health and productivity. This study aims to further explore the relationship between mental health services and employee productivity by examining the conditional associations between improvements in anxiety and depression and workplace behaviors (absenteeism, presenteeism, and lost productive time).

Outcomes from a large sample of users (talkspace.com) who accessed the digital therapy platform utilizing their companies’ behavioral health benefits between January 1, 2021, and March 1, 2023, were analyzed. Clinical outcomes were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Workplace behaviors were measured using the Workplace Outcome Suite (WOS-5) after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment.

A longitudinal, within-subject analysis was performed on users who exhibited clinically elevated levels of anxiety or depression (scores of 10 and higher) and who received telehealth therapy. Associations between the WOS-5 scale and the GAD-7 or PHQ-9 suggested a meaningful impact of therapy for anxiety and depression on employee absenteeism, presenteeism, and productivity.