An interesting study just published examines the rates of clinical depression experienced by workers in different jobs.
It turns out that people involved in ‘Local and Interurban Passenger Transport’ are most likely to be treated for depression. By contrast, those employed in ‘Amusement and Recreational Services’ are less than half as likely to experience it – at least, in Western Pennsylvania, where the research was conducted.
Here’s the paper: Prevalence rates for depression by industry: a claims database analysis, by Cincinnati researchers Lawson Wulsin and colleagues.
The data were anonymized care records from Highmark Ltd. which is “a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer providing health insurance for the majority of the working population” in Western Pennsylvania (and elsewhere).
Highmark’s data included the occupations and medical claims for 214,413 working adults over the period 2001-2005. Depression was defined as two or more claims using disease-specific cost codes such as ‘major depressive ...
