Improvements in Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Among Adults With Anxiety or Depressive Symptoms Participating in a Relational Agent-Delivered Digital Mental Health Intervention

Objectives: The study aimed to assess changes between baseline and end of treatment in work-related absenteeism, presenteeism, productivity, and nonwork-related activity impairment and estimate cost savings associated with observed improvements. Methods: Data from 91 employed adult participants who enrolled in a single-arm, exploratory study of a relational agent-delivered digital mental health intervention and completed Work Productivity and Activity Impairment assessments were analyzed; overall work productivity improvement was multiplied by the overall and education-adjusted US median annual salary to arrive at potential cost savings estimates. Results: Adjusted models indicated more than 20% improvements in presenteeism, work productivity impairment, and activity impairment, yielding cost-savings estimates between $14,000 and more than $18,000 annually. Conclusions: Relational agent-delivered digital mental health interventions may be associated with improvements in work productivity and activity impairment, which could result in a sizable cost savings.