An examination of risk factors for ISP tier status placement

The economic cost of depression in the workplace has significantly increased over the last decade and is associated with substantial functional impairment. The Interactive Screening Program (ISP) is an evidenced-based, innovative program that addresses the critical need for early identification of depression, distress, and other risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine differences that may exist between tier levels assigned by the ISP and the role of individuals at a health sciences center in the southeastern United States, whether student, resident, or faculty/staff. Bivariate relationships were first examined between ISP tier status and variables of interest using chi-square tests, while ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the likelihood of higher-risk ISP tier status. Younger age, student status, increased alcohol consumption, and feeling unable to control eating were all significantly related to higher-risk tier placement on the bivariate level. In the multivariate model, students, individuals who had increased alcohol consumption, and individuals who had difficulty controlling their eating showed a greater risk for higher-risk tier placement. This study provides insights in the differences of the risk factors among students, residents, and faculty/staff of a health sciences center. Awareness of these difference will be beneficial in training administrators and supervisors in the early identification of depression in hopes to minimize the negative consequences in the workplace as well as in our employees’ and students’ personal and professional lives.