There are a few indicators about a job that can predict the likelihood of it being one of the 17 jobs with the highest depression rates:
From the list of occupations with highest depression, bus drivers have it particularly tough, at number one, closely followed by real estate agents and social workers.
What do these and the other jobs with the highest depression rate have in common?
The common factor is dealing with the public, as the study suggests:
There seems to be a disproportion in the representation among service industries which require frequent or complex interactions with the public or clients.
This is a good example of how emotional labor can affect mental health and contribute to the development of depression.
Emotional labor can be very stressful and high levels refer to the frequency with which one has to manage their emotions in a job. As a short example, imagine a flight attendant smiling and greeting the 465th passenger of the day.
Here is the full list of the 17 jobs with the highest depression rates:
- Transportation driver
- Estate agent
- Social worker
- Manufacturer
- Personal services
- Legal services
- Housekeeper
- Membership organizations
- Security and commodities brokers
- Printing and publishing
- Agricultural services
- Retail
- Electric, gas, and sanitary
- Special trade contractors
- Petroleum and coal
- General merchandise retail
- Auto repair
The industry of public transportation has been linked before to high levels of depression, containing frequent cases of bus drivers with elevated rates of heart disease, hypertension, or stroke, often linked partially to work stress.
Too much interpersonal conflict seems to be another cause of high depression rates in a workplace: the industries with the highest levels have more interpersonal conflict with difficult people than industries with the lowest ones.
Among other major factors which make a job depressing:
- Low levels of control over your work.
- Little physical activity during work.
- High levels of work/family conflict.
- Much effort for little reward.
Are you suffering from depression related to your workplace?
Your drive is gone, you’re exhausted, and you feel like nothing you do is right. When time off doesn’t make it better, you might be experiencing work depression.
The thought of your job makes you feel emotionally flat, exhausted, worthless and unproductive.
Some of the causes of workplace depression might be:
- work overload
- a chaotic work environment
- unrealistic performance expectations
- unclear work boundaries
Are you feeling down at work? You’re not alone.
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