Log In | Register
6 Comments
Printadvertisement
Report Ranks Jobs by Rates of Depression
DEPRESSED WORKERS: People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.
THE FACTS: Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday. Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.
SYMPTOMS: During depressive episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
WASHINGTON — People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.
Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.
Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.
Almost 11 percent of personal care workers — which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs — reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.
During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
Workers who prepare and serve food — cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses — had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 percent.
In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 percent.
The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 percent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.
Government officials tracked depression within 21 major occupational categories. They combined data from 2004 through 2006 to estimate episodes of depression within the past year. That information came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which registers lifetime and past-year depression bouts.
Depression leads to $30 billion to $44 billion in lost productivity annually, said the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The report was available Saturday on the agency's Web site at http://oas.samhsa.gov
The various job categories tracked could be quite broad, with employees grouped in the same category seemingly having little in common.
For example, one category included workers in the arts, media, entertainment and sports. In the personal care category, a worker caring for toddlers at a daycare center would have quite a different job from a nursing aide who helps an older person live at home rather than in a nursing home.
Just working full-time would appear to be beneficial in preventing depression. The overall rate of depression for full-time workers, 7 percent, compares with the 12.7 percent rate registered by those who are unemployed.
___
On the Net:
Read the report at: http://tinyurl.com/2ft37p
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
8 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Kevin Freking's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: Psych, Soc, Philos
- Regions: United States , Washington DC
- Public Discussion (6)
- Psych, Soc, Philos
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
1.1
0.2
{"commentId":1096805,"authorDomain":"EddieStarr"}
{"commentId":1096833,"authorDomain":"framed"}
What struck me in the article was how much more depressed women were than men. In all of the categories they list, women are more depressed, sometimes having three times as many "episodes". What gives?
{"commentId":1096833,"threadId":"161688","contentId":"1022932","authorDomain":"framed"}
- 1 vote
#2 - Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:09 PM EDT{"commentId":1096962,"authorDomain":"organist"}
Just working full-time would appear to be beneficial in preventing depression. The overall rate of depression for full-time workers, 7 percent, compares with the 12.7 percent rate registered by those who are unemployed.
I think we have a chicken-and-egg problem here. Based on my experience, I don't know that people who are prone to depression are necessarily as able to work a full-time job. Like so much else in depression, it can be a vicious cycle.
There appears to be a correlation, but I don't think there is enough evidence to assume that full-time work is of preventative benefit against depression.
{"commentId":1096962,"threadId":"161688","contentId":"1022932","authorDomain":"organist"}
#3 - Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:22 PM EDT{"commentId":10404402,"authorDomain":"breelaboy"}
{"commentId":10404407,"authorDomain":"breelaboy"}
{"commentId":10421904,"authorDomain":"brianalampton"}
{"commentId":10421921,"authorDomain":"brianalampton"}
{"canLink":false,"threadId":"161688","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
