Restaurant, Care Workers Most Likely to Be Depressed

Oct 14, 07:20 AM

Current Headlines: By KEVIN FREKING

By Kevin Freking

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON

People who tend to the elderly, change diapers, or serve food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.

Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.

Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.

Almost 11 percent of personal care workers - which includes caring for children, elderly people or people with severe disabilities - reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.

During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.

Workers who prepare and serve food - cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses - had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 percent.

In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 percent.

The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 percent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.

Government officials tracked depression within 21 major occupational categories.

They combined data from 2004 through 2006 to estimate episodes of depression within the past year.

That information came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which registers lifetime and past-year depression bouts.

Depression leads to $30 billion to $44 billion in lost productivity annually, said the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The report was available Saturday on the agency's Web site, www.oas.samhsa.gov .

The various job categories tracked could be broad .

For example, one category included workers in the arts, media, entertainment and sports. In the personal care category, a worker caring for toddlers at a day care center would have quite a different job from a nursing aide who helps an older person live at home rather than in a nursing home.

The overall rate of depression for full-time workers, 7 percent, compares with the 12.7 percent rate registered by those who are unemployed.

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