'Job stress causes depression'
02/06/2008(16:54)
Almost one in six cases of depression among workers in Victoria is caused by job-related stress, research has found.
The study by researchers at the University of Melbourne revealed that more than 21, 000 cases of preventable depression are caused by job stress each year.
Nearly 17 per cent of female employees suffering from depression can attribute their condition to job stress compared to 13 per cent of working men, claim the researchers, who used data collected from a survey of 1,100 Victorian workers.
"Given so many people spend a large part of their day at work, we need to find the best ways workplaces can promote good health rather than cause health problems," said Todd Harper, chief executive of mental heath centre VicHealth, which took part in the research.
"Workplaces provide an important setting to prevent illness through strategies to reduce stress, as well as programs that address nutrition, physical inactivity and smoking," he added.
Meanwhile, research carried out by PopCap Games recently claimed that permitting staff to access social networking sites for a few minutes each day could help them to become productive.
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