Onlinecollege.org has compiled a list of the some of the professions that have the highest depression rate.
"1.Nursing Home Employees and Childcare Providers. These, and other personal care careers, top the list of the most depressed professions out there. Almost 11% of workers in this field reported depression that lasted for two weeks or longer.
2.Food Service: Workers have to deal with low pay, few chances for advancement, physically dangerous or exhausting work, and often demanding and unforgiving work environments. As anyone in the food service industry will tell you, it's hard, hard work.
3.Social Workers: Those working in this field are three times more likely to be depressed than the general population, and many are so focused on helping others they don't get the help that they need themselves.
4.Doctors and Nurses: Doctors and nurses score high when it comes to rating their burnout and depression on the job. As hospitals and medical care facilities reduce staff and make cutbacks, these professionals are responsible for a larger patient load, adding to their stress and anxiety.
5.Artists: As cliche as the stereotype might be, artists, entertainers and those in the creative fields have higher levels of depression than the general population. While there has been no definitive link between depression and creativity, those who choose to work in an artistic or entertainment field found it depressing, with 9.1% indicating a depressive episode over the past year.
6.Teachers: Being responsible for teaching the leaders of our future is stressful enough, but throw in having too many kids in a classroom, students with behavioral problems and not enough resources to get the job done, and you've described the experience many teachers have working today. Not to mention getting emotionally involved in the lives of students and wanting to help beyond the limits of your job. These factors and others lead to early burnout and depression in teachers.
7.Secretaries and Administrative Support: Clerical support staff are responsible with keeping a lot of things running smoothly but rarely get the acknowledgment they deserve for doing their jobs well. Some mental health experts say that the high levels of depression in support staff are due to the lack of control they have over their work environment and work flow, but whatever it is that causes it, these workers are more likely to be depressed, take anti-anxiety medication and call in sick to work.
8.Maintenance Workers: No one notices maintenance workers until something is broken or doesn't work. It is this lack of attention, repetitive tasks, and low wages that leads many who work in building maintenance and cleaning to feel depressed and unhappy about their work.
9.Financial Advisors: In an economic downturn, it makes sense that those working in the financial field should feel a little down about the outlook of things, but studies have shown that those working in finance have higher levels of depression than other professions even in good times. The major leading factor? Stress. The stress of working with money, and very often large sums of it, can be too much for some.
10.Lawyers: The demands of a legal career make it easy for lawyers to burnt out and over stressed, often leading to depression. Lawyers are 3.8 times more likely to be depressed than those in other professions and rank among the highest among levels of depression in all careers. Working excessive hours, having little time for family and personal engagement and a highly competitive field all contribute to creating high levels of depression in lawyers."
2.Food Service: Workers have to deal with low pay, few chances for advancement, physically dangerous or exhausting work, and often demanding and unforgiving work environments. As anyone in the food service industry will tell you, it's hard, hard work.
3.Social Workers: Those working in this field are three times more likely to be depressed than the general population, and many are so focused on helping others they don't get the help that they need themselves.
4.Doctors and Nurses: Doctors and nurses score high when it comes to rating their burnout and depression on the job. As hospitals and medical care facilities reduce staff and make cutbacks, these professionals are responsible for a larger patient load, adding to their stress and anxiety.
5.Artists: As cliche as the stereotype might be, artists, entertainers and those in the creative fields have higher levels of depression than the general population. While there has been no definitive link between depression and creativity, those who choose to work in an artistic or entertainment field found it depressing, with 9.1% indicating a depressive episode over the past year.
6.Teachers: Being responsible for teaching the leaders of our future is stressful enough, but throw in having too many kids in a classroom, students with behavioral problems and not enough resources to get the job done, and you've described the experience many teachers have working today. Not to mention getting emotionally involved in the lives of students and wanting to help beyond the limits of your job. These factors and others lead to early burnout and depression in teachers.
7.Secretaries and Administrative Support: Clerical support staff are responsible with keeping a lot of things running smoothly but rarely get the acknowledgment they deserve for doing their jobs well. Some mental health experts say that the high levels of depression in support staff are due to the lack of control they have over their work environment and work flow, but whatever it is that causes it, these workers are more likely to be depressed, take anti-anxiety medication and call in sick to work.
8.Maintenance Workers: No one notices maintenance workers until something is broken or doesn't work. It is this lack of attention, repetitive tasks, and low wages that leads many who work in building maintenance and cleaning to feel depressed and unhappy about their work.
9.Financial Advisors: In an economic downturn, it makes sense that those working in the financial field should feel a little down about the outlook of things, but studies have shown that those working in finance have higher levels of depression than other professions even in good times. The major leading factor? Stress. The stress of working with money, and very often large sums of it, can be too much for some.
10.Lawyers: The demands of a legal career make it easy for lawyers to burnt out and over stressed, often leading to depression. Lawyers are 3.8 times more likely to be depressed than those in other professions and rank among the highest among levels of depression in all careers. Working excessive hours, having little time for family and personal engagement and a highly competitive field all contribute to creating high levels of depression in lawyers."
