Nerina Vecchio

Using the interaction of mental health symptoms and treatment status to estimate lost employee productivity

Objective: In Australia it has been estimated that mental health symptoms result in a loss of

Psychological distress is associated with a range of high‐priority health conditions affecting working Australians

AU2.7 billion in employee productivity. To date, however, there has been only one study quantifying employee productivity decrements due to mental disorders when treatment-seeking behaviours are considered. The aim of the current paper was to estimate employee work productivity by mental health symptoms while considering different treatment-seeking behaviours. Method: A total of 60 556 full-time employees responded to the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire. This questionnaire is designed to monitor the work productivity of employees for chronic and acute physical and mental health conditions. Contained within the questionnaire is the Kessler 6, a scale measuring psychological distress along with an evaluation of employee treatment-seeking behaviours for depression, anxiety and any other emotional problems. A univariate analysis of variance was performed for employee productivity using the interaction between Kessler 6 severity categories and treatment-seeking behaviours. Results: A total of 9.6% of employees have moderate psychological distress and a further 4.5% have high psychological distress. Increasing psychological distress from low to moderate then to high levels is associated with increasing productivity decrements (6.4%, 9.4% and 20.9% decrements, respectively) for employees in current treatment. Combining the prevalence of Kessler 6 categories with treatment-seeking behaviours, mean 2009 salaries and number of Australian employees in 2009, it is estimated that psychological distress produces an

Which Health Conditions Impact on Productivity in Working Australians

AU5.9 billion reduction in Australian employee productivity per annum. Conclusions: The estimated loss of

Health-related productivity losses increase when the health condition is co-morbid with psychological distress: findings from a large cross-sectional sample of working Australians

AU5.9 billion in employee productivity due to mental health problems is substantially higher than previous estimates. This finding is especially pertinent given the global economic crisis, when psychological distress among employees is likely to be increasing. Effective treatment for mental health problems yields substantial increases in employee productivity and would be a sound economic investment for employers.

Exploring the Validity of HPQ-Based Presenteeism Measures to Estimate Productivity Losses in the Health and Education Sectors

Background: Psychological distress is growing in prevalence in Australia. Comorbid psychological distress and/or depressive symptoms are often associated with poorer health, higher healthcare utilisation and decreased adherence to medical treatments.

The Association Between Mental Disorders and Productivity in Treated and Untreated Employees

Objective: To identify health conditions associated with productivity loss in working Australians, adjusting for comorbidity, demographics, and work-related characteristics. Methods: The Australian Work Outcomes Research Cost–benefit study cross-sectional screening data set was used to identify health-related productivity losses in a sample of approximately 78,000 working Australians. Data collected with the World Health Organisation Health and Productivity Questionnaire were analyzed using negative binomial logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression models for absenteeism and presenteeism, respectively. Results: Health conditions impacted on both presenteeism and absenteeism. Drug and alcohol problems and psychological distress had a greater impact on absenteeism and presenteeism than other investigated health conditions. Demographic characteristics, health status (comorbidity), and work-related characteristics all impacted significantly on both absenteeism and presenteeism. Conclusion: Mental health conditions contributed more strongly to productivity loss than other investigated health conditions.

Work performance decrements are associated with Australian working conditions, particularly the demand to work longer hours

BackgroundThe health condition of workers is known to impact on productivity outcomes. The relationship between health and productivity is of increasing interest amid the need to increase productivity to meet global financial challenges. Prevalence of psychological distress is also of growing concern in Australia with a two-fold increase in the prevalence of psychological distress in Australia from 1997-2005.MethodsWe used the cross-sectional data set from the Australian Work Outcomes Research Cost-benefit (WORC) study to explore the impacts of health conditions with and without co-morbid psychological distress, compared to those with neither condition, in a sample of approximately 78,000 working Australians. The World Health Organisation Health and Performance Questionnaire was used which provided data on demographic characteristics, health condition and working conditions. Data were analysed using negative binomial logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression models for absenteeism and presenteeism respectively.ResultsFor both absenteeism and presenteeism productivity measures there was a greater risk of productivity loss associated when health conditions were co-morbid with psychological distress. For some conditions this risk was much greater for those with co-morbid psychological distress compared to those without.ConclusionsCo-morbid psychological distress demonstrates an increased risk of productivity loss for a range of health conditions. These findings highlight the need for further research to determine whether co-morbid psychological distress potentially exacerbates lost productivity.

Work-related injury in the nursing profession: an investigation of modifiable factors.

Background . Illness-related presenteeism (suboptimal work performance) may be a significant factor in worker productivity. Until now, there has been no generally accepted best method of measuring presenteeism across different industries and occupations. This study sought to validate the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ)–based measure of presenteeism across occupations and industries and assess the most appropriate method for data analysis. Methods . Work performance was measured using the modified version of the HPQ conducted in workforce samples from the education and health workforce in Queensland, Australia (N = 30,870) during 2005 and 2006. Three approaches to data analysis of presenteeism measures were assessed using absolute performance, the ratio of own performance to others’ performance, and the difference between others’ and own performance. The best measure is judged by its sensitivity to changes in health indicators. Results . The measure that best correlated to health indicators was absolute presenteeism. For example, in the health sector, correlations between physical health status and absolute presenteeism were 4 to 5 times greater than the ratio or difference approaches, and in the education sector, these correlations were twice as large. Using this approach, the estimated cost of presenteeism in 2006 was

The effect of disability on the needs of caregivers

Aus8338 and

The Use of Dental Services Among Older Australians: Does Location Matter?

Aus8092 per worker per annum for the health and education sectors, respectively. Conclusions . The HPQ is a valid measure of presenteeism. Transforming responses by perceived performance of peers is unnecessary as absolute presenteeism correlated best with health indicators. Absolute presenteeism was more insightful for ascertaining the cost of presenteeism.