Depression is a major cause of decreased productivity and increased absenteeism in workplaces across Canada.  While many employers have made great strides in understanding and accommodating mental illness, it continues to cost Canadian organizations millions of dollars every year.

As Calgary benefits consultants, one of the things we do for clients is to review their group benefits drug plan usage, paying particular attention to anti-depressants.  More often than not, we find that anti-depressants are the single largest prescription drug cost.  We also find that increased use of anti-depressants does not always improve overall workplace productivity and attendance.  Shouldn’t employers see a corresponding improvement in their employee’s health as costs increase?  They should.  But they are not.  And here is what might be happening.

For many years, the pharmaceutical industry has worked hard to market their anti-depressants to doctors and their patients.  Big pharma contends that depression is predominantly caused by low serotonin levels and that medication is the quickest and easiest way to increase serotonin and decrease the symptoms of depression.  But. . . is it really?  Over the past few decades, studies have reliably demonstrated that depression is not exclusively caused by low serotonin.  Research has also shown that anti-depressants are not always effective.  In 2006, the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health funded a large clinical study designed to examine the effectiveness of depression medication.  The results showed that two out of three patients with depression do not respond to popular anti-depressant medications or only experience a partial improvement in their symptoms.  Thanks to clever marketing from pharmaceutical companies, employer benefit costs rise because of a treatment that is only partially effective and not Employee benefit solutions.

The good news is that employers can access other tools and strategies to help employees maintain good health.   Employee Assistance Programs, or EAPs, are cost-effective tools that are accessible to organizations, no matter how large or small.  We have helped various employers in Calgary and across Alberta to implement strategies that combat the negative effects of depression.  EAPs were initially limited to offering confidential counselling to employees and their family members but over the past few years, they have grown to include so much more.  EAPs can come right onsite to deliver employee focused, informative, and engaging workshops on general wellness habits, stress reduction, nutrition, smoking cessation, and exercise.  All of these things have been linked to improved employee health and reductions in benefits costs.

Employers must respect doctor’s orders and help their employees to access medications that may improve their medical condition.  Employers who are concerned about rising drug plan usage should know that EAP services have a discernible impact on prescription drug use.  The benefits don’t stop there.  Employers report that Alberta EAP services also help to decrease absenteeism and disability claims while increasing morale, performance, and retention rates.  If this sounds appealing to you, contact us today to find out how we can help with your employee benefits solutions!