Lost Time, Absence Costs, and Reduced Productivity Output for Employees With Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the incremental health-related lost work time and at-work productivity loss for employees with bipolar disorder (BPD). METHODS: Health-related absence and real productivity output of employees with BPD were compared with that of non-BPD and other employee cohorts from a large employer database using multivariate regression to control for cohort differences. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounding factors, employees with BPD had significantly higher absence costs (1,219 dollars) and 11.5 additional lost days (P<0.05) per year than those without BPD. Adjusted annual productivity output was 20% lower for the BPD group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Employees with BPD are less likely to be present for work. When present, their productivity level is similar to that of other employees, but over the course of a year, their absence rates result in significant productivity losses.