Human Resources Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Benefi ts 305

Exercise 10.2: Depression Reported by 7 Percent

of the Workforce

Government officials tracked depression within twenty - one major

occupational categories. They combined data from 2004 through 2006

to estimate episodes of depression within the past year. The information

came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which registers

lifetime and past - year bouts with depression.

Depression leads to $ 30 billion to $ 44 billion in lost productivity annu-

ally. Overall, 7 percent of full - time workers battled depression in the past

year. Almost 11 percent of personal care workers, whose jobs include child

care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs,

reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.

Workers who prepare and serve food — cooks, bartenders, waiters and

waitresses — have the second highest rate of depression among full - time

employees: 10.3 percent. Health care workers and social workers were tied

at 9.6 percent.

A caveat to the study is that the job categories grouped were quite

broad, with employees grouped in the same category with little in common,

such as arts, media entertainment, and sports. And a child care worker has

a different job from a nursing aide helping an elderly person.

These are the rates of depression per category:

Personal care and service: 10.8% Transportation and material moving: 6.4%

Food preparation and serving related:
10.3%

Mathematical and computer science: 6.2%

Community and social services: 9.6% Production: 5.9%

Health care practitioners and technical:
9.6%

Management: 5.8%

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and
media: 9.1%

Farming, fi shing, and forestry: 5.6%

Education, training, and library: 8.7% Protective services: 5.5%

Offi ce and administrative support: 8.1% Construction and extraction: 4.8%

Building and grounds cleaning and
maintenance: 7.3%

Installation, maintenance, and repair:

4.4%

Financial: 6.7% Life, physical, and social science: 4.4%

Sales and related: 6.7% Engineering, architecture, and
surveyors: 4.3%

Legal: 6.4%