Dear Shelley, Fellow Classmates, and Future Me:
This English 102 class presented nine different course outcomes, all encouraging development of a different skill, or skillset. Each activity in the class was designed to address at least one of these outcomes. What follows is a brief discussion of how my writing development interacted with each of these outcomes, and how the outcomes may play into my future endeavors.
Out of all the course outcomes, the first, writing for specific rhetorical contexts, was most prominent. When I took English 101 (1999, UofA), I was lucky enough to have an instructor that taught me that rhetoric is omnipresent, especially in writing. As such, it played a part in almost every word I wrote for this class.
I see development of rhetorical context throughout my course work. I see adaptation to specific purposes in the differences between WP#1, where I was writing to analyze a rhetorical situation, and WP#2, where my main purpose was to write useful annotations for future synthesis. I see refinement of audience when comparing WP#1 with WP#3. In WP#1, I proposed to include the academic community in my audience. Over the course of planning WP#3, and in the final writing of it, I excluded that audience, recognizing that writing for a more focused audience would produce better results. I documented my awareness of the rhetorical situation in D#2, HW#1, where I examine the idea of the author’s relationship to the writing, and also D#6, HW#1 and 2, where I reflect on the importance of the rhetorical context as a whole. In my future writing, I will focus on strengthening my purpose/audience relationship to create stronger papers.
The second course outcome, organization of writing, taught me that different organizational schemes work better for different contexts. For example, WP#1 used topical organization, WP#2 was best organized by source, and WP#3 was organized in a causal pattern. I mention the importance of organization in D#8, HW#5, where I was constructing the organizational pattern for WP#3. As future writing projects arise, they will benefit from one or another organizational pattern. It will be my challenge to determine which pattern would best suit each project.
Usage of appropriate conventions in grammar is the third outcome. Even though this is one of my stronger skills, the class required a much-needed review of basic grammar and mechanics. I addressed this outcome as I revised my drafts. For instance, I revised a particular sentence in WP#3 from “…potential for missed work for employees” to “potential for employees to miss work”. I also refer to my use of proper mechanics in D#6, HW#2, in reflecting on WP#1. Although I have a decent grasp of proper grammar and mechanics, it is something I will continue to work on in future academics. As I am pursuing a science-based career, mechanics will be important to establish credibility when publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
Both WP#2 and WP#3 demonstrate my embrace of the fourth course outcome, working with sources. I learned it is important to have an understanding of one’s specific rhetorical situation before one starts looking for sources. I had to learn this to select appropriate sources for WP#2 and evaluate them on basis of credibility and suitablility to my purpose. In D#4, HW#1, I mentioned active reading, a technique I learned to be very useful towards accomplishing this outcome. Tying in with course outcome nine, I learned to use journal databases to locate sources. I could use additional focus in this outcome, and to that end I will continue to familiarize myself with the differences in the various databases. This will lead to more time-efficient research. In my future classes, I will use this knowledge to conduct efficient secondary research for many papers.
The best illustration of the fifth outcome, integrating sources, is WP#3. Not only did I incorporate what WP#2 taught me about reference citation, I also made extensive use of in-text citation, following APA style. I learned how to use summarizing, paraphrasing, and quotation of source data to support my argument. Much of D#6 focused on these techniques, including HW#’s 6 and 7. I intend to improve aspects of summarizing and paraphrasing, such as conveying essential information as concisely as possible. These techniques will be most helpful to me when writing future annotations for research sources.
The next outcome focused on a new topic for me, accurate documentation style. I had never used APA style before, and struggled with it at first, as evidenced in my first draft of WP#2. After reviewing the reading and exercises, I am much more comfortable with it. I can now write a reference entry without consulting a textbook. I mention my efforts to achieve this outcome in D#7, HW#6. I plan on journal publication to be a big part of my academic and professional future, and these skills are absolutely necessary for that. I will continue to refine my knowledge of citing different types of sources, for example multiple authors and different publication types.
Course outcome seven, using feedback to revise, is most easily visible in comparison of my rough to my final draft of WP#2. The instructor pointed out significant errors, such as my incorrect usage of APA style, and areas where I lacked focus. If it were not for the instructor feedback on this project, I would have ended up with a poor final product. Instructor feedback is essential in a course such as this, where there is no particular correct answer, only an evaluator that judges whether you correctly implement the knowledge or technique presented. Peer review was seldom helpful, although I did benefit from my classmates suggestions in D#5, HW#7, where they helped suggest search terms. In the future, I will work to improve eliciting specific types of feedback by using different questions and wordings. As I have found in both my academic and professional lives, there is usually some type of mentor in these situations that requires satisfaction, I will pay close attention to their feedback in the future.
My growth in regards to the eighth outcome, assessing and improving writing through evaluation, is also best demonstrated by the gaps in my first and final drafts of WP#2. This ties in closely with the previous course outcome. I now know that it is important to review one’s own writing, and assess strengths and weaknesses, so that these may be exploited or bolstered in future writing projects. I wrote about my assessment of WP#1 in D#6, HW#2 identifying coherency as a strength, and topic debatability as a weakness. I kept this weakness in mind in writing WP#3. I intend to improve my ability to critique specific aspects of my writing, and not ambiguously assess them as just “good” or “bad”. This improvement of critique will allow me to progressively build on my writing technique, and craft better papers for future classes.
Lastly, my use of course outcome nine, using appropriate technologies, is best seen, not in the content of my coursework, but in its presentation. For instance, WP#2 incorporated word-processor text formatting such as boldface, and the addition of graphic items (horizontal line). This was one of my stronger performances of the course outcomes. It had been quite some years since I used MS Word, and through typing my writing projects, I was able to brush-up my skills. Another noteworthy use of technology is electronic research databases. I am now able to confidently navigate these databases to locate sources. I refer to this in D#4, HW#1. I will need to constantly improve in this area, because “appropriate technology” is constantly changing. In the near future, however, I would like to improve my MS Word skills to ensure that I make the most of future writing opportunities.
Now at the end of the course, I can say that each of these outcomes promoted a skillset that will serve me in future pursuits. Most of the exercises I completed rewarded me with an enhanced proficiency. I am a better writer for having examined these outcomes.
Thank you,
Ryan MacNamara
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Final WP#3
I would put lots more work into this if I could resubmit, and I actually might anyways because I have an interest in presenting it to the professional community.
To start with, I would phrase the entire paper more like an argument, and less like an informational work. This might require some thesis tweaking. I would also include more content connection around the supporting data, as I think I have lots of good numbers, not enough opinions. Not lastly, I would certainly sculpt a more robust conclusive paragraph, the current one is weak. Also I need to correct APA style when citing secondary citations.
NOTE: Formatting was not preserved when copy-and-pasting from MS Word. Please forgive, thanks.
Ryan MacNamara
ENG102
WP#3
07/28/09
Dollars and Sense: The Cost of Depression in the Workplace
Drawing on a common emotional repertoire, everyone ‘has the blues’, or feels sad, from time to time. Depression is a mental disorder that often causes feelings far beyond this common response. This disorder is characterized by symptoms including extended periods of depressed mood, impaired concentration, loss of interest in daily activities, and chronic fatigue. These symptoms are especially detrimental to employee performance in the workplace. I learned this through personal experience, when, years after being diagnosed with recurring major depression in early 2000, I suffered a depressive episode in late 2006. Because of the symptoms of this disorder, I was not able to meet the duties of my job. The episode cost me my job, and cost my employer a normally productive employee. My experience, and my employer’s, is not a singularity. Employee depression is a widespread occurrence that incurs significant costs to employers in the form of increased healthcare costs, increased absenteeism, and lost productivity.
Depression’s presence in the workplace is universal. It is the most commonly occuring mental disorder, having been referred to as “the common cold of mental illness”(Worsnop, 1992). Its occurrence shows no discrimination among race or culture. Depression will affect approximately 1 in 10 people thoughout a lifetime (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2000), and while 1 in 10 people in the general world population will experience an episode of depression, 7 in 10 people participate in the world’s workforce, with this rate increasing to 9 in 10 in developed countries (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2007). This indicates that almost 1 in 10 workers in the industrialized world will experience at least one episode of depression in their lifetimes’.
The financial burden on employers of depressed employees has increased over the past two decades. In 1990, employee depression costs were estimated at about $24 billion (Hirschman, 2004). Since that time, awareness of the disease has grown, and a proliferation of antidepression medications have been made available and aggressively advertised. Following this popularization of the disorder, an article in Managed Healthcare Executive reports an annual employer price tag of $44 billion, almost double that of 1990 (Edlin, 2006).
One way this cost manifests itself is through increased healthcare expenditures. These costs arise from employees seeking company-subsidized treatment for their illness, including visits to healthcare providers and prescribed medications. A review of published literature shows that depressed employees generate about twice the healthcare costs of workers not suffering from depression (Kirschstein, 2000). Langlieb and Kahn (2005), compared healthcare costs of depressed versus nondepressed employees. They found that depressed employees incurred about $3200 in a year, while employees not suffering from the disorder had annual costs around $1600.
Another major cost of employee depression comes from increased absence from work. When employees are unable to attend work due to illness, deadlines can go unmet, and resources spread thin as other employees compensate for the hole in the workforce. Depressed employees are more likely to miss work due to symptoms such as chronic fatigue and loss of interest in daily activities. The Pacific Bell company, a major provider of telephone services, discovered that employee depression accounted for 11% of all absences, while Hughes Electronics Corporation, another leading provider in the telecommunications industry, found that employee depression was the leading cause of absenteeism (Steffick, Fortney, Smith, & Pyne 2006). Edlin quotes Dan McCarthy, of the prominent healthcare management provider Magellan Health Services, as saying depressed employees “have three times more sick days” than healthy employees (p. 49). My personal experience confirms this. I was employed for four of the six months of my recent depressive episode. In that four months, I had three times more sick days than I had for the previous three years combined.
Another type of absence arises when employees take disability leave. Disability leave can cause an employee to be absent from work for days, weeks, or even months, and it represents a significant portion of depression-related absenteeism costs. Major depression is currently one of the top ten causes of worker disability worldwide, and affects depressed employees about twice as often as those without depression (Kirschstein, 2000). This trend is growing. By the year 2020, it will rise to the number two position on that list, according to the World Health Organization (Langlieb & Kahn, 2005).
It may be argued that absence due to depression is no more or less significant than cases of other major illnesses. This is not the case. Depression has been found to cause more missed work than traditional major physical illnesses. For example, Steffick et al., finds that “depression accounts for more days absent from work than hypertension and heart disease combined”. Another survey reported 26% of people “taking time off work for mental health reasons compared with 20% …. for physical illness” (p. 16). In addition, depressed employee disability leaves tend to be longer, averaging 40 days, than leaves for physical disorders, which average only 29 days. These statistics show that workplace depression presents far greater potential for for employees to miss work, resulting in higher costs for employers.
Finally, the leading cause of depression-related workplace costs, and the most insidious, occurs when depressed employees attend work. Depressed employees, who often suffer from apathy and impaired concentration, often get significantly less work done than their nondepressed coworkers. This is referred to as “presenteeism” (Edlin, 2006). A review of research by Langlieb and Kahn (2005) found that “depression was highly associated with work limitations in time management, interpersonal/mental functioning, and overall output” (p. 1102). The loss in productive time for a depressed employee can be as much as 370% greater than employees not suffering from this disorder. This lost time causes a drop in productivity of the company, and contribute heavily to the $44 billion in costs previously mentioned, accounting for more than 25% of employer costs.
This loss of productivity is not limited to the ill individual. Depressed people are often affected with surly moods and stubbornly negative states of thought. The effect of these symptoms on the surrounding environment is described in Langlieb and Kahn: “Employees who are depressed at work have been shown to lower the morale of their coworkers, resulting in higher turnover and general discontent”(p. 1103). In my management experience, high turnover is costly, with each employee turned representing a cost of about three-to-five thousand dollars. The relative cost of presenteeism is captured in Carolyn Hirschman’s article in a 2004 issue of Employee Benefit News: “Joseph Marlowe, of Aon Consulting’s health and welfare practice, says, ‘If employers looked at the full picture, they’d definitely be putting much more attention on depression because the real cost is with presenteeism’”.
As depression’s frequency receives more attention, its effect on business and economy is coming under scrutiny. It has been shown to increase costs by elevating healthcare spending, causing employees to miss work, and even worse, reducing the productivity of the entire work environment. If employers wish to minimize these costs, they must first acknowledge and identify them in their own companies. The results of knowing and controlling these costs will benefit not only company profit margins, but the welfare of employees worldwide.
To start with, I would phrase the entire paper more like an argument, and less like an informational work. This might require some thesis tweaking. I would also include more content connection around the supporting data, as I think I have lots of good numbers, not enough opinions. Not lastly, I would certainly sculpt a more robust conclusive paragraph, the current one is weak. Also I need to correct APA style when citing secondary citations.
NOTE: Formatting was not preserved when copy-and-pasting from MS Word. Please forgive, thanks.
Ryan MacNamara
ENG102
WP#3
07/28/09
Dollars and Sense: The Cost of Depression in the Workplace
Drawing on a common emotional repertoire, everyone ‘has the blues’, or feels sad, from time to time. Depression is a mental disorder that often causes feelings far beyond this common response. This disorder is characterized by symptoms including extended periods of depressed mood, impaired concentration, loss of interest in daily activities, and chronic fatigue. These symptoms are especially detrimental to employee performance in the workplace. I learned this through personal experience, when, years after being diagnosed with recurring major depression in early 2000, I suffered a depressive episode in late 2006. Because of the symptoms of this disorder, I was not able to meet the duties of my job. The episode cost me my job, and cost my employer a normally productive employee. My experience, and my employer’s, is not a singularity. Employee depression is a widespread occurrence that incurs significant costs to employers in the form of increased healthcare costs, increased absenteeism, and lost productivity.
Depression’s presence in the workplace is universal. It is the most commonly occuring mental disorder, having been referred to as “the common cold of mental illness”(Worsnop, 1992). Its occurrence shows no discrimination among race or culture. Depression will affect approximately 1 in 10 people thoughout a lifetime (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2000), and while 1 in 10 people in the general world population will experience an episode of depression, 7 in 10 people participate in the world’s workforce, with this rate increasing to 9 in 10 in developed countries (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2007). This indicates that almost 1 in 10 workers in the industrialized world will experience at least one episode of depression in their lifetimes’.
The financial burden on employers of depressed employees has increased over the past two decades. In 1990, employee depression costs were estimated at about $24 billion (Hirschman, 2004). Since that time, awareness of the disease has grown, and a proliferation of antidepression medications have been made available and aggressively advertised. Following this popularization of the disorder, an article in Managed Healthcare Executive reports an annual employer price tag of $44 billion, almost double that of 1990 (Edlin, 2006).
One way this cost manifests itself is through increased healthcare expenditures. These costs arise from employees seeking company-subsidized treatment for their illness, including visits to healthcare providers and prescribed medications. A review of published literature shows that depressed employees generate about twice the healthcare costs of workers not suffering from depression (Kirschstein, 2000). Langlieb and Kahn (2005), compared healthcare costs of depressed versus nondepressed employees. They found that depressed employees incurred about $3200 in a year, while employees not suffering from the disorder had annual costs around $1600.
Another major cost of employee depression comes from increased absence from work. When employees are unable to attend work due to illness, deadlines can go unmet, and resources spread thin as other employees compensate for the hole in the workforce. Depressed employees are more likely to miss work due to symptoms such as chronic fatigue and loss of interest in daily activities. The Pacific Bell company, a major provider of telephone services, discovered that employee depression accounted for 11% of all absences, while Hughes Electronics Corporation, another leading provider in the telecommunications industry, found that employee depression was the leading cause of absenteeism (Steffick, Fortney, Smith, & Pyne 2006). Edlin quotes Dan McCarthy, of the prominent healthcare management provider Magellan Health Services, as saying depressed employees “have three times more sick days” than healthy employees (p. 49). My personal experience confirms this. I was employed for four of the six months of my recent depressive episode. In that four months, I had three times more sick days than I had for the previous three years combined.
Another type of absence arises when employees take disability leave. Disability leave can cause an employee to be absent from work for days, weeks, or even months, and it represents a significant portion of depression-related absenteeism costs. Major depression is currently one of the top ten causes of worker disability worldwide, and affects depressed employees about twice as often as those without depression (Kirschstein, 2000). This trend is growing. By the year 2020, it will rise to the number two position on that list, according to the World Health Organization (Langlieb & Kahn, 2005).
It may be argued that absence due to depression is no more or less significant than cases of other major illnesses. This is not the case. Depression has been found to cause more missed work than traditional major physical illnesses. For example, Steffick et al., finds that “depression accounts for more days absent from work than hypertension and heart disease combined”. Another survey reported 26% of people “taking time off work for mental health reasons compared with 20% …. for physical illness” (p. 16). In addition, depressed employee disability leaves tend to be longer, averaging 40 days, than leaves for physical disorders, which average only 29 days. These statistics show that workplace depression presents far greater potential for for employees to miss work, resulting in higher costs for employers.
Finally, the leading cause of depression-related workplace costs, and the most insidious, occurs when depressed employees attend work. Depressed employees, who often suffer from apathy and impaired concentration, often get significantly less work done than their nondepressed coworkers. This is referred to as “presenteeism” (Edlin, 2006). A review of research by Langlieb and Kahn (2005) found that “depression was highly associated with work limitations in time management, interpersonal/mental functioning, and overall output” (p. 1102). The loss in productive time for a depressed employee can be as much as 370% greater than employees not suffering from this disorder. This lost time causes a drop in productivity of the company, and contribute heavily to the $44 billion in costs previously mentioned, accounting for more than 25% of employer costs.
This loss of productivity is not limited to the ill individual. Depressed people are often affected with surly moods and stubbornly negative states of thought. The effect of these symptoms on the surrounding environment is described in Langlieb and Kahn: “Employees who are depressed at work have been shown to lower the morale of their coworkers, resulting in higher turnover and general discontent”(p. 1103). In my management experience, high turnover is costly, with each employee turned representing a cost of about three-to-five thousand dollars. The relative cost of presenteeism is captured in Carolyn Hirschman’s article in a 2004 issue of Employee Benefit News: “Joseph Marlowe, of Aon Consulting’s health and welfare practice, says, ‘If employers looked at the full picture, they’d definitely be putting much more attention on depression because the real cost is with presenteeism’”.
As depression’s frequency receives more attention, its effect on business and economy is coming under scrutiny. It has been shown to increase costs by elevating healthcare spending, causing employees to miss work, and even worse, reducing the productivity of the entire work environment. If employers wish to minimize these costs, they must first acknowledge and identify them in their own companies. The results of knowing and controlling these costs will benefit not only company profit margins, but the welfare of employees worldwide.
Final WP#2 w/Revision Suggestions
I'm relatively happy with this revision of WP#2. As with WP#1, if I had more time I would have more firmly established my research question before composing this. After finishing this, I changed the focus of my research question, rendering some of these sources useless.
I also might have included some useful quotes or specific sections in the annotations, making for easier reference later on.
NOTE: Formatting was not retained when copy-and-pasting from MS Word. Please forgive, thanks.
Ryan MacNamara
ENG 102 – Rodrigo
WP#2 Final Revision
08/01/07
Employer Costs of Workplace Depression: A Review of Sources
Depression, along with phobia, is the most commonly occuring mental disorder among employed people (Sanderson, 2006). It effects 18.8 million Americans each ear, and has been predicted to become the second leading cause of worker disability by the year 2020. The associated costs pose a financial burden to employers not just in direct healthcare costs, but also in the form of absenteeism, disability leave, and lowered output while on the job (Langlieb, 2005).
The sources below will be synthesized into an argument for concrete measures that can reduce employer costs associated with depressive disorder.
Edlin, M. (2006, October). Depression can be a detriment to workplace
productivity. Managed Healthcare Executive, 16(10), 48-50. Retrieved
July 11, 2007, from Business Source Premier database.
This magazine article begins by stating the problem, in terms of lost production, with depression in the workplace. Based on secondary sources, it details some of the dollar amount losses attributed to depression-based absenteeism and presenteeism. It then describes a shift of focus in workplace treatment from traditional reactive methods to new managed care plans that take a proactive approach. The article presents the benefits of several specific provider programs that can be purchased by employers, such as the Aetna Depression Management program.
It mainly speaks to management and human resource personnel. The author’s perspective holds that employers’ views of mental health care must change if the expense of depression is to be minimized or reversed. Edlin cites some statistics that will be useful in my own argument. This source will not be used as much as some peer-reviewed journal articles I have found, as they will hold greater credibility with my audience.
Hirschman, C. (2004, December). Education, screening defang workplace
depression. Employee Benefit News, 18(15), 36-37. Retrieved July 11,
2007, from Business Source Premier database.
This magazine article is also directed towards company management and human resource departments. Hirschman lightly touches on the prevalance of depression and its effect of absenteeism and presenteeism on workplace productivity. The rest of the article presents screening and treatment suggestions for employers to implement. The article maintains its perspective on efficient programs that can also save companies money, and discusses cost-benefits of both medication and psychotherapy treatments.
Although the article presented me with a viewpoint on the issue, the information itself is not of much use in my own argument, with the exception of a small quote by Joseph Marlowe of Aon Consulting. This article, along with Edlin, must be used carefully because of its association with a commercial magazine that may have corporate interests high on its agenda.
Langlieb, A. Kahn, J. (2005). How much does quality mental health care
profit employers?. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine,
47, 1099-1109.
This is a comprehensive peer-reviewed journal article that details prevalance of depression, its role in absenteeism and lost productivity, and cost-benefits of employer-provided health care. The article reviewed 103 different publications to establish support for its conclusions. The primary author is employed by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the article was written for the American Psychiatric Association Committee on Business Relations.
The article is very useful to me because it focuses on how companies can increase profit through quality depression care. This will appeal to my audiences’ value of maintaining and maximizing corporate profit. It holds great credibility through its peer-reviewed status, as well as its analyses of many diverse sources.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2000). Depression (NIH Publication
No.00-3561). Retrieved July 12, 2007, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm#ptdep1
The document gives an overall description of depressive disorder. It includes sections on causes, symptoms, and treatment. It carries credibility as a government publication by an official mental health institute. This document will be cited in my argument to establish the general nature of depression. Unlike my other sources, it carries no correlation to specific applications in the workplace.
Sanderson, K., Andrews, G. (2006). Common mental disorders in the
workforce: recent findings from descriptive and social epidemiology.
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(2), 63-75. Retrieved July 12, 2007,
from Academic Search Search Premier database.
This article highlights the frequency of mental illness in the workplace and identifies its correllation with employee productivity. It finds that depressive disorders are the most common mental illness in the workplace, then briefly offers some words on reducing lost-productivity.
This article will contribute to my argument by establishing that depression is a commonly occuring illness in the workforce. It will also help establish that depressed employees present indirect costs to employers through reduced productivity. The article carries credibility as a peer-reviewed, fully notated publication by a psychiatric journal.
Steffick, D., Fortney, J., Smith, J., Pyne, J. (2006). Worksite disease
management programs for depression: potential employer benefits.
Disease Management & Health Outcomes, 14(1), 13-26.
Retrieved July 23, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
This article has brief sections on prevalance and effects of depression in the workplace, but focuses on employer implementation of health care management programs and other ways of coping with the issue. It cites specific examples of case studies in companies such as LL Bean and Ford Motor Company. It also focuses on measuring the cost-benefits of various programs to employers. The paper is a comprehensive and well-documented study.
It is a credible source from a peer-reviewed journal. Steffick is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Arkansas, and carries a PhD in economics. Her viewpoint is more from a cost-benefit, rather than medical, standpoint. This source will appeal to my audience, who will be concerned more with profit than medical analyses.
Tanouye, E. (2001, June 13). Mental illness: a rising workplace cost --- one
form, depression, takes $70 billion toll annually; Bank One intervenes
early. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from ProQuest
Newspapers database.
This article stresses depression’s indirect costs to employers, such as disability leave and presenteeism. It describes the specific case of Bank One’s effort to combat depression costs, using statistical support. It also contains a testimonial from the director of the company employee assistance program.
The article comes from a newspaper that is generally held in high esteem by my argument’s intended audience. Its review of Bank One’s situation will allow me to cite specific company cases in my own argument.
Wang, P., Patrick, A., Avorn, J., Azocar, F., Ludman, E., McCulloch, J., et al.
(2006). The costs and benefits of enhanced depression care to
employers. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 1345-1353.
This is a study of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of an enhanced depression care program implemented in the workplace. It uses a hypothetical group of 40-year old workers as a subject to estimate the costs and benefits from both a societal and an employer/purchaser standpoint.
Dr. Wang is employed by the National Institute of Mental Health, who funded this study. It is published in a peer-reviewed journal, and contains a full bibliography of all sources used.
My primary use of this study will be to cite numbers showing benefits of depression care programs to employers.
There is substantial research available that documents the high frequency and financial burdens of depressive disorders in the workplace. Less research exists that examines employer cost-benefits of implemented care programs. The lack of information in this area has contributed to a situation where employers lack data to make informed care purchasing decisions, and care providers are hesitant to invest in new programs without client demand.
I also might have included some useful quotes or specific sections in the annotations, making for easier reference later on.
NOTE: Formatting was not retained when copy-and-pasting from MS Word. Please forgive, thanks.
Ryan MacNamara
ENG 102 – Rodrigo
WP#2 Final Revision
08/01/07
Employer Costs of Workplace Depression: A Review of Sources
Depression, along with phobia, is the most commonly occuring mental disorder among employed people (Sanderson, 2006). It effects 18.8 million Americans each ear, and has been predicted to become the second leading cause of worker disability by the year 2020. The associated costs pose a financial burden to employers not just in direct healthcare costs, but also in the form of absenteeism, disability leave, and lowered output while on the job (Langlieb, 2005).
The sources below will be synthesized into an argument for concrete measures that can reduce employer costs associated with depressive disorder.
Edlin, M. (2006, October). Depression can be a detriment to workplace
productivity. Managed Healthcare Executive, 16(10), 48-50. Retrieved
July 11, 2007, from Business Source Premier database.
This magazine article begins by stating the problem, in terms of lost production, with depression in the workplace. Based on secondary sources, it details some of the dollar amount losses attributed to depression-based absenteeism and presenteeism. It then describes a shift of focus in workplace treatment from traditional reactive methods to new managed care plans that take a proactive approach. The article presents the benefits of several specific provider programs that can be purchased by employers, such as the Aetna Depression Management program.
It mainly speaks to management and human resource personnel. The author’s perspective holds that employers’ views of mental health care must change if the expense of depression is to be minimized or reversed. Edlin cites some statistics that will be useful in my own argument. This source will not be used as much as some peer-reviewed journal articles I have found, as they will hold greater credibility with my audience.
Hirschman, C. (2004, December). Education, screening defang workplace
depression. Employee Benefit News, 18(15), 36-37. Retrieved July 11,
2007, from Business Source Premier database.
This magazine article is also directed towards company management and human resource departments. Hirschman lightly touches on the prevalance of depression and its effect of absenteeism and presenteeism on workplace productivity. The rest of the article presents screening and treatment suggestions for employers to implement. The article maintains its perspective on efficient programs that can also save companies money, and discusses cost-benefits of both medication and psychotherapy treatments.
Although the article presented me with a viewpoint on the issue, the information itself is not of much use in my own argument, with the exception of a small quote by Joseph Marlowe of Aon Consulting. This article, along with Edlin, must be used carefully because of its association with a commercial magazine that may have corporate interests high on its agenda.
Langlieb, A. Kahn, J. (2005). How much does quality mental health care
profit employers?. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine,
47, 1099-1109.
This is a comprehensive peer-reviewed journal article that details prevalance of depression, its role in absenteeism and lost productivity, and cost-benefits of employer-provided health care. The article reviewed 103 different publications to establish support for its conclusions. The primary author is employed by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the article was written for the American Psychiatric Association Committee on Business Relations.
The article is very useful to me because it focuses on how companies can increase profit through quality depression care. This will appeal to my audiences’ value of maintaining and maximizing corporate profit. It holds great credibility through its peer-reviewed status, as well as its analyses of many diverse sources.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2000). Depression (NIH Publication
No.00-3561). Retrieved July 12, 2007, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm#ptdep1
The document gives an overall description of depressive disorder. It includes sections on causes, symptoms, and treatment. It carries credibility as a government publication by an official mental health institute. This document will be cited in my argument to establish the general nature of depression. Unlike my other sources, it carries no correlation to specific applications in the workplace.
Sanderson, K., Andrews, G. (2006). Common mental disorders in the
workforce: recent findings from descriptive and social epidemiology.
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51(2), 63-75. Retrieved July 12, 2007,
from Academic Search Search Premier database.
This article highlights the frequency of mental illness in the workplace and identifies its correllation with employee productivity. It finds that depressive disorders are the most common mental illness in the workplace, then briefly offers some words on reducing lost-productivity.
This article will contribute to my argument by establishing that depression is a commonly occuring illness in the workforce. It will also help establish that depressed employees present indirect costs to employers through reduced productivity. The article carries credibility as a peer-reviewed, fully notated publication by a psychiatric journal.
Steffick, D., Fortney, J., Smith, J., Pyne, J. (2006). Worksite disease
management programs for depression: potential employer benefits.
Disease Management & Health Outcomes, 14(1), 13-26.
Retrieved July 23, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
This article has brief sections on prevalance and effects of depression in the workplace, but focuses on employer implementation of health care management programs and other ways of coping with the issue. It cites specific examples of case studies in companies such as LL Bean and Ford Motor Company. It also focuses on measuring the cost-benefits of various programs to employers. The paper is a comprehensive and well-documented study.
It is a credible source from a peer-reviewed journal. Steffick is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Arkansas, and carries a PhD in economics. Her viewpoint is more from a cost-benefit, rather than medical, standpoint. This source will appeal to my audience, who will be concerned more with profit than medical analyses.
Tanouye, E. (2001, June 13). Mental illness: a rising workplace cost --- one
form, depression, takes $70 billion toll annually; Bank One intervenes
early. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from ProQuest
Newspapers database.
This article stresses depression’s indirect costs to employers, such as disability leave and presenteeism. It describes the specific case of Bank One’s effort to combat depression costs, using statistical support. It also contains a testimonial from the director of the company employee assistance program.
The article comes from a newspaper that is generally held in high esteem by my argument’s intended audience. Its review of Bank One’s situation will allow me to cite specific company cases in my own argument.
Wang, P., Patrick, A., Avorn, J., Azocar, F., Ludman, E., McCulloch, J., et al.
(2006). The costs and benefits of enhanced depression care to
employers. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 1345-1353.
This is a study of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of an enhanced depression care program implemented in the workplace. It uses a hypothetical group of 40-year old workers as a subject to estimate the costs and benefits from both a societal and an employer/purchaser standpoint.
Dr. Wang is employed by the National Institute of Mental Health, who funded this study. It is published in a peer-reviewed journal, and contains a full bibliography of all sources used.
My primary use of this study will be to cite numbers showing benefits of depression care programs to employers.
There is substantial research available that documents the high frequency and financial burdens of depressive disorders in the workplace. Less research exists that examines employer cost-benefits of implemented care programs. The lack of information in this area has contributed to a situation where employers lack data to make informed care purchasing decisions, and care providers are hesitant to invest in new programs without client demand.
Final WP#1 w/Revision Suggestions
If I had time to revise and resubmit this paper, I would maintain my focus on the main ideas, cutting out unsupported material. For example, I would remove the effects on consumers in the first paragraph, and also the references to an academic audience in the third paragraph. This would make for a more focused proposal.
I would also make sure that I was more set on my research question, as it changed quite a bit between this and WP#3. I could have saved myself LOADS of research time had I sufficiently focused the question beforehand.
Ryan MacNamara
ENG102 - Summer 2
WP#1 Final Draft
07/14/07
Depression is a mental disorder that goes far beyond the natural human feeling of sadness. All humans feel sad from time to time as part of our natural emotional repertoire. Depression, however, is a medical disorder with its root cause in imbalanced chemicals in the brain. It is characterized by extended periods of hopelessness and other severe negative thoughts. Depression will effect about 1 in 10 people, and has been referred to as “the common cold of mental illness”*. When someone in our workforce catches a cold or is otherwise physically sick, they get less work done, are late for work, or possibly miss work altogether. Their overall productivity is lessened, and money may need to be spent for treatment. Depression is no different. With the frequency of depressive incidents being reported, large amounts of money are being lost to reduced productivity in the workplace. As consumers, we know that when companies lose money, we tend to pay higher prices for products and services. Therefore, this money lost not only effects business, but consumers as well. How can the effect of depression in the workplace be minimized?
In early 2000, a university psychiatrist diagnosed me as suffering from “major recurring depression”. Although the frequency of this disorder may be on par with the common cold, its severity can be much more devastating. I recovered after following a year of prescribed treatment, and didn’t have another episode until late 2006. This time I did not seek treatment, and ended up losing my job because of multiple mental health related absences..If this happened to me, it is happening to many other people in the working world. I’ve talked with family members and friends who have voiced similar concerns about their mood (whether disordered or not) effecting their work. From my experience with the disorder, I know that while not completely preventable, its impact in the workplace can be minimized. My research project will identify and explore how this can be done.
The research project will be directed towards members of the world’s workforce, and to a limited extent, the academic community. A prime audience target is those in decision-making positions for organizations, companies and corporations. After spending 3 years in retail management, I know this information will be valuable to middle management by helping them cut down the incidence of absenteeism and low productivity due to this debilitating disorder. When workers miss work or have decreased output, workers suffer, management suffers, and consumers suffer. Workers want to be at work to get paid, management wants work to get done, and consumers want to be able to buy products and services at reasonable prices. This research will also benefit students by helping them avoid missed schoolwork because of the disorder.
Researching and writing this project is an opportunity to take a personal experience and turn it into information that can be directly helpful to many people. The knowledge that one or many people will be able to avoid what happened to me is a motivating factor for me as a researcher and as a writer. Research will come from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will include the experiences of myself, a practicing psychologist, and a human resources manager for a publicly-owned, nationwide company. Secondary sources will primarily be academic and popular journals found using databases such as PsychINFO and PubMed. All research sources will be evaluated for accuracy and credibility. The initial research phase will be complete within 2 weeks, with 1 week devoted to drafting and revision.
I would also make sure that I was more set on my research question, as it changed quite a bit between this and WP#3. I could have saved myself LOADS of research time had I sufficiently focused the question beforehand.
Ryan MacNamara
ENG102 - Summer 2
WP#1 Final Draft
07/14/07
Depression is a mental disorder that goes far beyond the natural human feeling of sadness. All humans feel sad from time to time as part of our natural emotional repertoire. Depression, however, is a medical disorder with its root cause in imbalanced chemicals in the brain. It is characterized by extended periods of hopelessness and other severe negative thoughts. Depression will effect about 1 in 10 people, and has been referred to as “the common cold of mental illness”*. When someone in our workforce catches a cold or is otherwise physically sick, they get less work done, are late for work, or possibly miss work altogether. Their overall productivity is lessened, and money may need to be spent for treatment. Depression is no different. With the frequency of depressive incidents being reported, large amounts of money are being lost to reduced productivity in the workplace. As consumers, we know that when companies lose money, we tend to pay higher prices for products and services. Therefore, this money lost not only effects business, but consumers as well. How can the effect of depression in the workplace be minimized?
In early 2000, a university psychiatrist diagnosed me as suffering from “major recurring depression”. Although the frequency of this disorder may be on par with the common cold, its severity can be much more devastating. I recovered after following a year of prescribed treatment, and didn’t have another episode until late 2006. This time I did not seek treatment, and ended up losing my job because of multiple mental health related absences..If this happened to me, it is happening to many other people in the working world. I’ve talked with family members and friends who have voiced similar concerns about their mood (whether disordered or not) effecting their work. From my experience with the disorder, I know that while not completely preventable, its impact in the workplace can be minimized. My research project will identify and explore how this can be done.
The research project will be directed towards members of the world’s workforce, and to a limited extent, the academic community. A prime audience target is those in decision-making positions for organizations, companies and corporations. After spending 3 years in retail management, I know this information will be valuable to middle management by helping them cut down the incidence of absenteeism and low productivity due to this debilitating disorder. When workers miss work or have decreased output, workers suffer, management suffers, and consumers suffer. Workers want to be at work to get paid, management wants work to get done, and consumers want to be able to buy products and services at reasonable prices. This research will also benefit students by helping them avoid missed schoolwork because of the disorder.
Researching and writing this project is an opportunity to take a personal experience and turn it into information that can be directly helpful to many people. The knowledge that one or many people will be able to avoid what happened to me is a motivating factor for me as a researcher and as a writer. Research will come from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will include the experiences of myself, a practicing psychologist, and a human resources manager for a publicly-owned, nationwide company. Secondary sources will primarily be academic and popular journals found using databases such as PsychINFO and PubMed. All research sources will be evaluated for accuracy and credibility. The initial research phase will be complete within 2 weeks, with 1 week devoted to drafting and revision.
D#10, HW#1 - Reading Reflection
The Wadsworth reading was useful in reminding me of the components of well-written paragraphs, such as cohesion and organization. Something in particular I will be paying attention to are transitions within, and between, paragraphs. I have found that to be a past weak point in my work. Chapter 7 reminded me that this is an argumentative paper, and should be stated as such. I need to revisit my thesis and be sure it is making an assertion. Much of the information in this chapter is similar to argumentative speech making, such as organizational methods. The website reading was mostly redundant with previous exercises on paraphrasing, etc.
D#9, HW#7 - Deadline Reflection
In this deadline, I began forming my argument based on the Toulmin model. My introduction to Toulmin came in our readings, and I later applied some of the theories in the textbook exercises (D#9,HW#5). I then drafted an outline based on Toulminian organization (HW#6). This required utilization of course competency 2. I have never used the Toulmin method before. Although I think it is useful to identify one's warrants, and evaluate one's reasoning process, I prefer to outline my work using traditional methods.
I also took a reflective look at WP#2. I identified strengths (source selection representing multiple perspectives, document formatting) and weaknesses(need more specific annotations) of my own writing, which used course competency 8.
I also took a reflective look at WP#2. I identified strengths (source selection representing multiple perspectives, document formatting) and weaknesses(need more specific annotations) of my own writing, which used course competency 8.
D#9, HW#6 - Toulmin Outline
Thesis: Employee depression causes significant costs for employers.
Reason 1: Increased absenteeism raises costs for employers.
Warrant: Depressed employees have higher rates of absenteeism.
Backing: Depressed employees take more sick days and use more
disability leave time.
Evidence#1: One study estimates that it is 2.5 times more likely for a
depressed employee to call in sick than a non-depressed one.
(Langlieb, 2005)
Evidence#2: Major depression is the world's leading cause of worker
disability leave (Kirschstein, 2000).
Objection: Disability leave due to depression causes no more time lost
than disability from physical illness.
Rebuttal: Because mental disorders start earlier in life, and are more
persistent than physical maladies, they tend to result in
longer periods of leave (Kirschstein, 2000).
Reason 2: Lost productivity while at work raises costs for employers.
Warrant: Depressed employees cause lost productivity on the job.
Backing: Depression is a disabling illness that impairs employees' ability
to function.
Evidence#1: In an analysis of one prominent study, it was revealed that
depressed individuals had "significantly more days with
decreased productivity at work .... than those without
depression"(Steffick, 2006).
Evidence#2: Another study reports that depressed employees had over
three times more unproductive time at work than
nondepressed individuals (Langlieb, 2005).
Reason 1: Increased absenteeism raises costs for employers.
Warrant: Depressed employees have higher rates of absenteeism.
Backing: Depressed employees take more sick days and use more
disability leave time.
Evidence#1: One study estimates that it is 2.5 times more likely for a
depressed employee to call in sick than a non-depressed one.
(Langlieb, 2005)
Evidence#2: Major depression is the world's leading cause of worker
disability leave (Kirschstein, 2000).
Objection: Disability leave due to depression causes no more time lost
than disability from physical illness.
Rebuttal: Because mental disorders start earlier in life, and are more
persistent than physical maladies, they tend to result in
longer periods of leave (Kirschstein, 2000).
Reason 2: Lost productivity while at work raises costs for employers.
Warrant: Depressed employees cause lost productivity on the job.
Backing: Depression is a disabling illness that impairs employees' ability
to function.
Evidence#1: In an analysis of one prominent study, it was revealed that
depressed individuals had "significantly more days with
decreased productivity at work .... than those without
depression"(Steffick, 2006).
Evidence#2: Another study reports that depressed employees had over
three times more unproductive time at work than
nondepressed individuals (Langlieb, 2005).
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