Cross-sectional association between anxiety disorders and work performance among U.S. adults

Abstract

Background. Past research shows that anxiety disorders can impair work performance, but there are no national studies examining the relationship between anxiety disorder subtypes and low work performance. In a representative sample of employed US adults, we examined the association between low work performance and three types of anxiety disorders--generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods. We analyzed data collected in 2001-2003 on 4,418 employed US adults participating in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were used to determine the 12-month prevalence of GAD, PD, and PTSD. Low work performance was classified as a score of ≤7 on a 10-point scale in response to a single question (i.e. “What number describes your overall job performance on the days you worked during the past 30 days?”). Logistic regression predicting low work performance adjusted for age, gender, education, financial stress, having children, weekly work hours, race/ethnicity, and geographic region. Results. The prevalence of low work performances was 18.5%, while the prevalences of GAD, PD, and PTSD were 3.0%, 3.6%, and 4.2%, respectively. The prevalence of low work performance among those with GAD, PD, PTSD, or no anxiety disorder were 25.3%, 20.6%, 27.6%, and 18.0%, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, PTSD was the only anxiety disorder associated with a significantly higher risk of low performance (adjusted odds ratio = 1.44, 95 % confidence interval = 1.05, 1.98). Conclusion. Not all types of anxiety disorders may be associated with low work performance. Future research should examine these associations prospectively and by subtype of anxiety disorder.