Dive Brief:

• According to Mashable, millennials reported the highest rates of depression (approximately 1 in 5 millennials) of people who sought out employee assistance or work-life advice from Bensinger, DuPont & Associates (BDA), an employee assistance provider (EAP).

• In contrast, 16% of baby boomers and 16% Gen Xers reported depression. BDA collected data from employees seeking its EAP services over an 18-month period.

• The most common impact depression has on jobs across all age groups is presenteeism, which is when someone shows up to work physically but cannot function at his or her full capacity as a result of depression. That feeling afflicted 70% of depressed millennials in the study, while 68% of Gen X and 63% of boomers said depression induced presenteeism at their jobs.

Dive Insight:

"While major depression affects 10% of [American employees], an overwhelming 75% of people with depression don’t receive formal treatment," said Marie Apke, chief operating officer of BDA, in a statement. "Depression costs the economy more than $23 billion annually due to absenteeism. While recent public health initiatives continue to enhance and expand our understanding of the social and economic costs of depression,it's clear more work is needed to combat depression in the workplace."

In its report, BDA urges workplaces to adopt additional training and informational campaigns, so workers and employers alike can more easily detect signs of depression. It also recommends "multigenerational strategies" for helping depressed employees. EAPs paired with experienced clinicians who assess workers' mental health are vital resources for today's workers, the report said.