A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the link between work stress and depression, and gave some ideas for dealing with the problem.

Until now research on this issue has been thin on the ground. However a new paper, published in the August 2007 issue of Psychological Medicine, is a helpful addition.

In the study 10 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women who were finding work stressful during the period of research experienced their first episode of depression or an anxiety disorder. Women with the highest psychological demands from work were 75% more likely to suffer a first episode than women with the lowest demands. For men it was 80%. Psychological demands included long hours, pressure and lack of clear direction.

The study was conducted over a one-year monitoring period, with about 900 males and females aged 32.

By the way, which occupation do you think is most stressful?
Firefighter
Police officer
Train operator
Teacher
Librarian

Apparently librarian.