Effect of meditation or escitalopram on work performance in patients with anxiety disorders.
Anna C Oft, Samantha Philip, Emily Holz, Sruveera Sathi, Xue Geng, Elizabeth Hoge
Journal of affective disorders November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.019 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAmong 67 adults with anxiety disorders, both escitalopram and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) reduced partial days of missed work due to health problems after 24 weeks. Only MBSR was linked to improved job performance over the same period. Neither treatment outperformed the other on any work-related outcome at the study's end. The findings suggest that MBSR may improve work performance as effectively as SSRI medication for people with anxiety disorders, offering an alternative for those seeking better anxiety symptoms and workplace outcomes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 67 |
| Population | Adults with a primary anxiety disorder |
| Interventions | Escitalopram Mindfulness-based stress reduction |
| Duration | 24-week follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Absenteeism Anxiety disorders Mindfulness-based intervention Psychopharmacology Randomized controlled trial |
| Citations | 4 |
| Registration | NCT03522844 |
| Key finding | MBSR improved job performance at 24 weeks, while escitalopram did not, and both treatments reduced absenteeism similarly. |
Abstract
This study aimed to 1) examine how psychopharmacotherapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) influence absenteeism and job performance among individuals with anxiety disorders and 2) compare the effectiveness of these treatments in improving work performance. Adults (N = 67) with a primary anxiety disorder were recruited to participate in the study. Participants were randomized to escitalopram, a common treatment for anxiety disorders, or MBSR. Absenteeism and job performance were measured with the Health and Work Performance (HPQ) questionnaire prior to treatment and at the week 24 follow up. At week 24, individuals in the escitalopram arm and the MBSR arm showed significant improvements in partial days of missed work due to mental/physical health problems from baseline (1.00 [0.00-2.50] to 0.00 [0.00 = 1.00], p = .034 and 0.00 [0.00-2.00] to 0.00 [0.00 = 1.00], p = .001, respectively). In the MBSR arm only, job performance increased from baseline to week 24 (65.00 [50.00-80.00] to 75.00 [67.50-82.50], p = .017). None of the outcome variables significantly varied by group at baseline or week 24. Our study finds evidence that MBSR improves work performance equivalently to SSRI medication among individuals with anxiety disorders. Given the limitations of SSRIs, MBSR should be considered as an alternative to individuals who desire improved anxiety symptoms and work outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03522844.