Absent Without Leaving: The Economic Impact of Early, Optimized Treatment for Depression

Mental illnesses affect an individual’s health, well-being, and productivity in the workplace. Organizations that pay attention to the mental well-being of their employees stand to reap the benefits through a healthier, more productive workforce.

This briefing examines the health care and economic impact of early, optimized treatment for patients with depression. Taking into account the depression severity among employees, three methods are presented to determine this impact: increasing the number of people who seek treatment; increasing the number of people who receive minimally adequate treatment; and increasing the number of people who achieve remission. A modelling exercise compares the results of these three scenarios with the current situation in Canada. The briefing presents a review of the literature; the modelling approach; and the results from the modelling exercise. It concludes with some thoughts on how to improve access to this treatment.