About 500,000 Canadian workers experience depression and most of them say the symptoms interfere with their ability to work, according to a study by Statistics Canada. About 500,000 Canadian workers experience depression and most of them say the symptoms interfere with their ability to work, according to a study by Statistics Canada.
Nearly eight out of 10 workers who experienced depression say the symptoms interfered with their ability to work at least to some extent. Almost one in five reported a very severe degree of interference.
Depressed workers reported an average of 32 days in the previous year when their symptoms left them either unable to carry out normal activities or totally unable to work.
“This study reinforces other research, which found that several crucial elements of job performance, such as time management, concentration, teamwork, and overall output, are particularly vulnerable to depressive symptoms,” says the report.
A number of job-related factors, such as shift work, hours of work, work stress and occupation, were associated with depression.
Men and women who worked evening or night shifts were more likely to be depressed than those who had a regular daytime schedule. Workers in sales or service and those in white-collar jobs were more likely than blue-collar workers to have experienced depression.
To read more about this study, click here.
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