Certain types of work are more likely to cause sadness than others.
Out of the 21 main occupational categories, the following ten are the ones in which full-time employees are most likely to report experiencing a severe depressive episode throughout the course of a given year. However, if you are interested in becoming a nurse (number four), this does not indicate that you should choose a different line of work.
According to Dr. Deborah Legge, a registered mental health counselor in Buffalo, New York, "there are some features of any employment that may contribute to or aggravate depression." [Citation needed] "There are certain aspects of any job that might contribute to or worsen depression." People who work in high-stress occupations have a better chance of coping with the pressures of their employment if they take care of themselves and seek assistance when they need it.
Workers in Nursing Homes and Child Care Facilities
People who work in the personal care industry had the highest rate of serious depression, with about 11 percent of those working in this profession having experienced it at some point. (The percentage is 13 percent among those who are jobless, whereas it is just 7 percent among the overall population.)
According to Christopher Willard, a clinical psychologist at Tufts University and the author of Child's Mind, a typical day may include activities such as feeding, bathing, and caring for others who are "often incapable of expressing gratitude or appreciation...because they are too ill, too young, or they just aren't in the habit of it." This is because these individuals may be too young, too sick, or simply not used to the practice of showing gratitude. "Not receiving a lot of positive reinforcement while also seeing the illness of others is a distressing experience."
Staff in charge of Food Service
People who serve you meals at your favorite local hangouts are just behind those who provide professional care services in terms of importance. Wait staff members often get poor pay and may have difficult duties that are made more difficult by the fact that multiple individuals instruct them on what to perform each day.
Although just 10 percent of employees in general have reported experiencing serious depression in the previous year, almost 15 percent of women working in this area have done so.
According to Legge, "this is sometimes a pretty thankless profession." "People have a tendency to be really impolite, and there is a significant amount of strenuous physical activity. It is challenging for sad persons to maintain their energy and enthusiasm; this is especially true in situations when they are expected to perform well."
Workers in Social Work
The presence of social workers towards the top of this list undoubtedly does not come as much of a surprise to most people. When paired with the bureaucratic red tape that typically comes with the position, dealing with mistreated children or families on the verge of every conceivable disaster can make for a taxing and stressful job that often requires working around the clock.
"There may be a culture that says that to do a good job, you need to work extremely hard and frequently make sacrifices," Willard says. "There might be a culture that says that to do a good job, you need to work incredibly hard."
"It may be challenging for social workers to maintain a healthy work-life balance since they deal with clients who have such significant needs. I see this happening a lot with social workers and others who work in other caring professions, and as a result, they get really exhausted very rapidly."
Personnel Working in Health Care
This includes medical professionals such as physicians and nurses, as well as therapists and other members of the helping professions who may end up giving a lot without keeping much for themselves. Workers in the healthcare industry often put in long hours and face unpredictable schedules while bearing the responsibility of essentially holding the lives of patients in their hands.
To put it another way, the level of tension may be through the roof.
"Every day they are experiencing disease, trauma, and death, and dealing with the family members of patients," Willard adds. "They are dealing with family members of patients." It has the potential to make one feel as if the world as a whole is a more depressing place.
Artists, Entertainers, Writers
These are the kinds of occupations that might result in inconsistent compensation and hours, as well as social isolation.
People who are creative may also have greater rates of mood problems; around 9 percent of respondents reported having had a severe depressive episode in the preceding year.
It is the occupational group that is most likely to be connected with an episode of severe depression in males (nearly 7 percent in full-time workers).
According to Legge, one thing that he sees rather often among musicians and artists is bipolar disorder. "People who are creative may suffer from mood illnesses that have not been properly identified or treated.... Depression is not prevalent among those who are attracted to work in the arts, and the lifestyle adds to the development of depression in these individuals."
Teachers
It would seem that the expectations placed on teachers are always rising. After school, many people go to work, and then they bring their job home with them.
They become adept at making the most out of limited resources across multiple domains.
According to Willard, "there is pressure from many various audiences," including the children, their parents, and the schools that are attempting to achieve standards; all of these audiences have distinct requirements. "This may make it difficult for instructors to accomplish their jobs and recall why they got into the industry in the first place,"
Personnel Responsible for Administrative Support
It's possible for anyone working in this industry to experience the typical example of high demand and little control.
They are in the forefront of the operation and are receiving commands from all sides. According to Legge, however, not only are they at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of power, but also "everything flows down" from a higher level.
They may not get the recognition they deserve for all of the hard work that they put in to make everyone else's lives simpler, and their days are not always predictable.
Workers in Maintenance and Groundskeeping
How would you like it if the only time you were asked for help was when something went wrong? To a large extent, it is what the work of maintenance personnel entails on a daily basis.
They are also required to work erratic hours, schedules that change seasonally or often, and numerous night shifts. They often get a low wage for the difficult work that they do, which frequently involves cleaning up other people's messes.
"Additionally, there is a greater amount of turnover. They are often separated from their fellow employees, and the labor itself may be rather hazardous "According to Willard.
Consultants in Finance and Accounting Professionals
Stress. Stress. Stress. The vast majority of individuals dislike being responsible for their own retirement funds. Could you fathom being responsible for the management of thousands or millions of dollars on behalf of another person?
"There is so much responsibility for other people's wealth, yet there is no control over the market," adds Legge. "There is so much at stake." "There is an element of shame involved, and when (customers) are losing money, they undoubtedly have people yelling at them on a daily basis," the author writes.
Salespeople
People who work in sales come in at No. 10 on the list, despite the fact that there are a whole host of reasons why the profession might contribute to depression in a variety of different ways.
The majority of salesmen are paid on commission, which means that they are never really sure when their next payment will arrive. They may have to travel, which requires them to spend time away from their home, their family, and their friends.
It is possible that they may get less benefits if they work alone.
According to Legge, a high-stress career may be characterized by factors such as "this uncertainty of income, huge pressure for outcomes, and lengthy hours."