A recent study has found that employer efforts to cheer up employees -- getting them treatment, phone counseling, etc. -- makes sense for more than just altruistic reasons.

The research, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, found that, on average, depressed employees who receive aggressive attention from their bosses worked about two weeks more during the year-long study. Workers are also more likely to keep their jobs when they receive aggressive help, which can reduce the costs of recruiting and training new employees.

According to the Associated Press, "The researchers haven't finished a formal cost-benefits analysis but early results suggest savings from more hours worked averaged to about $1,800 per employee. That far exceeds the program's initial $100 to $400 per worker cost. The benefits also likely exceed other costs, including drugs and therapy too, the researchers said."

Hopefully this will change the way that so many employers perceive depression and its treatment. The productivity costs of depression can be just as real as a broken leg, and employers should provide aggressive treatment options, both for their own benefit and the benefit of the worker.