Stressed workers become depressed

Working in a high-pressure job doubles the risk of depression and anxiety for young people, according to research by academics from King’s College London.

A study of nearly 1,000 workers found that 45% of new cases of depression and anxiety were a result of stressful work. Researchers claim that, for the first time, they have established a firm link between stressful working conditions and poor mental health among young workers with no previous history of such disorders.

“Work stress appears to bring on diagnosable forms of depression and anxiety in previously healthy young workers,” said epidemiologist Maria Melchior. Noting the findings that work pressures, workloads and tight, inflexible deadlines doubled the risk, she added: “We can also deduce that work stress is associated with mental health problems of clinical significance that have health-care and financial implications for wider society.”

Maria Melchior and others, “Work stress precipitates depression and anxiety in young, working women and men”, Psychological medicine, volume 37, issue 8, pages 1119-1129