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Study finds different patterns by age
SEOUL, South Korea — Workers with symptoms of depression showed substantially higher levels of absenteeism and reduced productivity while on the job, according to research announced by Seoul National University Hospital.
The study surveyed 1,000 employees ages 20 to 49 across a range of industries in January 2024. The participants included 489 workers younger than 35 and 511 who were 35 or older.
Researchers led by Yoon Young-ho, a professor of family medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, and Jung Joo-yeon, a professor in the Division of Tourism and Wellness at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, classified participants as having depressive symptoms if they scored 10 or higher on the PHQ-9, a questionnaire used to screen for depression.
The team measured absenteeism as the share of work hours missed because of health problems. It also measured presenteeism, a term for being at work but performing below normal capacity, and combined the two measures to calculate overall work loss.
After adjusting for factors including gender, education and income, depressive symptoms had the clearest association with work loss in both age groups. Among workers younger than 35, those with depressive symptoms had 5.42 times the odds of absenteeism, 2.13 times the odds of presenteeism and 2.43 times the odds of overall work loss compared with workers without symptoms.
Among workers 35 and older, depressive symptoms were associated with 2.89 times the odds of absenteeism, 4.78 times the odds of presenteeism and 4.84 times the odds of overall work loss.
Younger workers reported more depressive symptoms
Depressive symptoms were identified in 33.1% of workers younger than 35, compared with 27% of those 35 and older. Younger workers also reported missing an average of 6.8% of their work hours because of health problems, compared with 3.3% among the older group.
Average presenteeism was 36.3% among younger workers and 32.9% among older workers. Overall work loss averaged 39.5% and 34.4%, respectively.
The factors associated with lower work loss also varied by age. Among younger workers, good physical health was associated with about half the odds of presenteeism and overall work loss. Good social health was associated with half the odds of overall work loss, while good mental health was linked to 0.59 times the odds of presenteeism.
Among workers 35 and older, those reporting good mental health had 0.32 times the odds of both presenteeism and overall work loss. Good spiritual health was associated with 0.41 times the odds of absenteeism.
The researchers said physical vitality and workplace relationships may be especially relevant for younger employees, while psychological resources and a sense of meaning in life may play a greater role among older workers.
Researchers call for early intervention
The team recommended workplace depression screening and early intervention for employees of all ages, along with efforts to reduce stigma surrounding mental health. It also called for programs tailored to workers at different stages of life.
“Depression is the factor most clearly associated with reduced workplace productivity,” Yoon said. He urged employers to view worker health not simply as a personal matter or a corporate benefit, but as an investment that can improve productivity and competitiveness.
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