Grant: Catalyst Grant: Planning & Develop. in Mental Hlth & Addiction in the Workplace

Clinical depression and anxiety in employees, managers and executives (workplace depression) is a significant burden to society from both human resource and economic viewpoints. Depression is now a leading cause of absenteeism, short-term and long-term disability, and also contributes significantly to "presenteeism" in affected workers. Despite the impact of clinical depression on workplaces, there is little information on the most effective interventions for workers struggling with depression. Employee and family assistance programs (EAPs) are often the "first line of defence" for employees coping with stress, depression and anxiety. Our study, "FIRST for Depression in an EAP", will focus on screening and early intervention strategies in EAP clients with clinical depression and anxiety. We will pilot test novel types of treatment (for example, computer-assisted or telephone-delivered counseling) in an EAP to find out how acceptable and how satisfactory are these methods for clinicians and clients. We will also address some of the barriers to conducting intervention research in a business and clinical setting such as an EAP. The results from "FIRST for Depression in an EAP" will allow us to plan rigorous studies to evaluate interventions within EAPs. The results will also provide new information on the clinical and productivity outcomes of clients with depression and anxiety using EAP services.