Depression At Work: 10 Careers With High Rates Of Depression (PHOTOS)

Some jobs are more depression-prone than others. Here are 10 fields (out of 21 major job categories) in which full-time workers are most likely to report an episode of major depression in a given year. But if you want to be a nurse (number four), it doesn't mean you should pick another profession.

"There are certain aspects of any job that can contribute to or exacerbate depression," says Deborah Legge, Ph.D., a licensed mental health counselor in Buffalo. "Folks with the high-stress jobs have a greater chance of managing it if they take care of themselves and get the help they need."

Comments

[AvgPlumber]

04:39 PM on 01/04/2011

So teachers are prone to depression? In New Jersey and Southeastern PA, according to Chris Christie and the local school boards they are overpaid, lazy, bad at their jobs and undeserving of tenure which should be revoked so they can be fired/terminated at the whim of whomever, should pay more for their own healthcare, do more work after-hours on their own dime, dig into their own pockets to provide their students with supplies the school districts are cutting back on so they can actually learn something, while getting more education/certification to stay in the same job, endure more background checks and basically be subjected to early retirement so younger, lower paid, with no/smaller families, and less health care issues can have their jobs. Wonder why they are prone to depression?

[Tryhard]

01:31 PM on 01/04/2011

So...everything?

[DandaPanda]

03:51 PM on 01/04/2011

my thought exactly....

[occa173]

07:33 PM on 01/03/2011

Every one who is at the bottom of any chain deserves to be added to list.
Young people joining any industry are abused a lot before they learn how to deal with it.

Majority of the work of any organization is done by its ground staff and they are the one who feel dispensable at their work places.

[JennySmithJared]

12:08 PM on 01/03/2011

I think alot of the time, depression is linked to how much control you have over your situation at work. It makes sense that people with the least amount of control, and highest unpredictability, have the highest rates of depression. It would be nice to know how these statistics were generated.

[TheBestPatriot]

09:17 PM on 01/02/2011

I'm an accountant and I am not depressed. I am prone to depression because I was diagnosed with a years ago. I have to watch what I eat, exercise, listen to Mozart, and have an or.gasm every now and again.

[DJ Jaffe]

07:33 PM on 01/02/2011

What science is this based on? Is there a link to the study? tx.

[Indigo1941]

01:11 PM on 01/02/2011

Service providers and helpers of all kinds have the higest rates of depression? That does not speak well about something in our society but I'm not sure what it is.

[redbud9]

01:03 PM on 01/02/2011

OK, so who ISN'T on this list?

[feliznavidad]

05:42 PM on 01/02/2011

People who live off of un-earned incomes.

[occa173]

07:30 PM on 01/03/2011

Me ... and my work is surely depressing ....

[Jahsmah]

10:15 AM on 01/02/2011

In any career involving service there is going to be depression because one is dealing with people in crisis who need something and may not ask very nicely. That and we live in a world where "me" is far more important than "we." The sense of community has been lost and now it is about "what can you do for me?" "what I will demand you do for me?" and how miserable I can make you if YOU don't meet MY needs.

[Jonathan Robert]

09:45 AM on 01/02/2011

The money aspect is an issue with food staff, entertainers, salespeople. Not with some of the others, but it is also the disrespect with which some of these people are treated. It is commonplace to see food staff, sales persons, customer service people treated with no regard for their dignity.

Those who deal with the elderly and the poor may be dealing with over exposure to suffering that is itself often depressing.

[lainey]

12:41 PM on 01/02/2011

Great insight...thanks for sharing.

[ALipschitz]

01:26 AM on 01/02/2011

In a couple of decades everything will be automated and we'll be going through that awkward transition where there are virtually no jobs available to everyone that has lost their job to automatons. Hopefully, our robot overlords will take good care of us.

[feliznavidad]

05:43 PM on 01/02/2011

It never turns out that way in the SF movies, does it? The cyborgs usually figure they will be better off without us.

[GreenKate]

12:25 AM on 01/02/2011

Most people in these fields don't make enough money and poverty is depressing.

[HansMundt]

08:23 PM on 01/01/2011

Another one. Puffpo Headline writer.

[HansMundt]

08:22 PM on 01/01/2011

They forgot one. Being Rich. So depressing.

[CMcMillion]

08:15 PM on 01/01/2011

If you've never begged a total stranger to kill you you aren't really depressed.