Feeling unappreciated at work makes you three times more likely to experience depression, says study

man in office overwhelmed and stressed
Could your workplace be making you depressed? (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

It seems obvious that our working lives have a major impact on our mental wellbeing.

We spend a significant portion of time hard at work, after all – of course that’s going to seep into our headspace.

But sometimes it can help to look at the cold, hard stats of just how significantly your time in the office can affect your time outside of it – if only to give you a nudge to make a change.

A new study confirms that if you’re feeling miserable as a result of your workplace, you’re certainly not alone.

People who work in ‘toxic’ environments – identified by poor management practices, bullying, and a failure to prioritise employees’ mental health – are three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression, says this research.

The year-long Australian population study, led by UniSA’s Psychosocial Safety Climate Observatory, discovered a link between working long hours and depression, too, and noted that men are more likely than women to become depressed if their workplace doesn’t seem bothered about their wellbeing.

Also causing issues are burnout and workplace bullying.

Lead author Dr Amy Zadow said: ‘Evidence shows that companies who fail to reward or acknowledge their employees for hard work, impose unreasonable demands on workers, and do not give them autonomy, are placing their staff at a much greater risk of depression.’

The risks of these kinds of working environments go beyond the individual.

If employees are unhappy, mistreated, and burnt out, productivity will suffer and absenteeism will rise.

It’s clear that bosses need to put a renewed focus on workers’ mental health – especially following the immense stresses of the pandemic.

In the meantime, we’re likely to see more burnout, more mental health issues, and more resignations post-lockdown.

Signs of burnout:

  • Exhaustion
  • Insomnia
  • Interrupted sleep
  • Getting sick more often
  • Gum disease
  • Nausea
  • Headaches
  • Lack of motivation
  • Low mood
  • Being unable to stop thinking about work
  • Impaired memory
  • Struggling to make decisions
  • Feeling irritable or snapping at people

To chat about mental health in an open, non-judgmental space, join our Mentally Yours Facebook group.

Follow us on Twitter at @MentallyYrs.

Need support? Contact the Samaritans

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/24/toxic-work-culture-makes-you-three-times-more-likely-to-be-depressed-14820538/

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