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According to the CT Mirror, workplace depression is “under-recognized, expensive, treatable.”

The issue was raised by Donna DeWan, director of corporate programs for the National Council for Behavioral Health, and others at a recent program hosted by the Connecticut Health Council.

Why should employers consider programs to address mental health?

The piece states: “DeWan and other mental health and workplace experts said addressing depression matters for employers, noting its prevalence and links to reduced productivity, increased absences and worse outcomes for physical illnesses – and the fact that it’s highly treatable.”

It also notes that a JAMA “study projected that lost productivity among workers with depression in the U.S. costs companies $44 billion per year. The authors noted that many workers haven’t received treatment, and suggested that there could be cost-effective ways to improve depression-related outcomes in the workforce.”

Said Dr. Hyong Un, Aetna’s chief psychiatric officer: “The tragedy behind that is that depression’s a very treatable illness. If you make an investment in treating diabetes, it takes about five years to get a return on investment. Treatment of depression takes about eight weeks” to start to feel better.

One last stat to help employers understand the scope — according to the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health: “Mental illness and substance abuse annually cost employers an estimated $80 to $100 billion in indirect costs alone.”

To view the entire “Depression in the Workplace: Cost, Conversation and Solutions” program, click here.