Stress at work causes depression

One in six cases of depression may be caused by unhappiness at work, new University of Melbourne research has found.

According to the analysis of data on 1100 Victorian depression sufferers, around 15% – or some 21,000 cases if applied to the total of those afflicted – are primarily triggered by job stress.

Women are more likely than men to suffer from job-related depression, according to the report, with 17% suffering compared to 13% of men.

The researchers believe this may be because women are more likely then men to work in lower skilled jobs where they have little control over when and how work is performed, which previous research has shown is more likely to cause work stress.

The researcher in charge of the study, associate professor Tony LaMontagne said that improving job control, moderating work demands “and more support from supervisors and co-workers can help reduce the incidence of workplace depression”.

“Our hope is that a better understanding of the scale of this problem will lead to more support for employees, particularly for lower-skilled workers and working women.”

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