The Cost Of Workplace Depression In East Asia

Research shows that on average, one percent of a country’s GDP is lost due to workers with depression attending work while unwell.

AsianScientist (Oct. 12, 2016) – Researchers have found that workplace depression is a major issue in East Asia, with “wide and devastating” consequences for thousands of organizations. These findings were published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting up to 350 million people, according to the World Health Organization.

Researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) analyzed data from a survey of 8,000 employees across eight countries around the world, including East Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea. The collective cost for workplace depression in these countries is more than US$246 billion a year, according to their study.

Lead researcher Dr. Sara Evans-Lacko of LSE said the enormous costs of depression due to absence and loss of productivity are set to increase unless governments and employers make it a priority.

In Japan, absenteeism is higher than presenteeism due to people’s fear of losing their job if their depression is revealed at work. Japan also has the highest aggregate costs associated with employees taking time off for depression, with 22 percent (costing US$14 billion) of people taking 21 or more days. This suggests that employees stay at work longer until their depression is severe. The study also showed that less than 10 percent of respondents in China (6.4 percent) and South Korea (7.4 percent) reported having a previous diagnosis of depression.

Overall, Asian countries report lower productivity losses due to depression, attributed in part to a cultural reluctance to disclose mental health issues, so the actual figures relating to China and South Korea are likely to be higher.

“These findings suggest that depression is an issue deserving global attention, regardless of a country’s economic development, national income or culture,” Evans-Lacko said. “Interventions which support employees with depression need to be developed, adapted, implemented and evaluated across all countries to mitigate the high costs of workplace depression.”



The article can be found at: Evans-Lacko and Knapp (2016) Global Patterns of Workplace Productivity for People with Depression: Absenteeism and Presenteeism Costs Across Eight Diverse Countries.

———

Source: London School of Economics and Political Science; Photo: Pexels.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Asian Scientist Magazine is an award-winning science and technology magazine that highlights R&D news stories from Asia to a global audience. The magazine is published by Singapore-headquartered Wildtype Media Group.

Related Stories from Asian Scientist