According to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 7% of all full-time workers in US battled depression in the past year.
The job has the highest rate of depression is the Personal Care, almost 11% of workers-which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs-reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.
Workers who works in restaurant industries-prepare and serve food, bartenders, waiters and waitresses-had the 2nd hest rate of depression at 10.3%.
In a tie for 3rdre health care workers and social workers at 9.6%.
The lowest rate of depression, 4.3%, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.
The news which is not depressing? just working full-time would appear to be beneficial in preventing depression. Although the overall rate of depression for full-time workers is 7%, it is 12.7% by those who are unemployed.
3 comments:
This is a really interesting statistic. It stands to reason, in these economic times, that just having a job would make one less depressed; however, the quality of the work experience can easily lead to depression. A simple and mindless job, like picking fruit, or doing one specific function on an assembly line, would drive me nuts, as would a customer service job where I'd have to deal with morons without the ability to speak my mind. A mentally challenging job with stimulating co-workers (like I'm lucky enough to have) can be exciting and steer one away from depression, even on bad days. Interesting food for thought. Thanks!
It would be interesting to find out how many of those working in health care professions were suffering from depression before they got into their occupation - it could be reasoned that many people with mental health problems feel that they could empathize with others who are suffering and want to help others who are suffering as much as they desire to help themselves get better.
Not to mention seeing others suffering can also be depressing!
I wonder if "unemployed" includes stay-at-home mothers. Since caregiving professions face such high rates of depression, and those out of the workforce do as well, perhaps staying at home with your children is a health risk.
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