Researchers Urge Tackling Causes of Depression Instead of Use of Antidepressants
3,347 Finnish employees, aged between 30 and 64 were studied as part of a research to find out if poor team spirit in the workplace increases employees’ risk of depression. The findings, which were recently published in ‘Occupational and Environmental Medicine‘, showed a high correlation between the two.
The employees studied were asked several questions about their workplace such as:
- Team spirit
- If the workplace was cordial
- Level of hostility
- Quality of communication
- How much control the employees felt in while working
- Whether new ideas were welcomed or shunned
- Bias and Prejudice
The social aspects of the subjects’ lives were also taken into consideration, such as what kind of a living arrangement were they in, and if they had proper access to healthcare. This was done in order to remove any external issues that could have interfered with the results of the study.
The employees were then observed for three years to detect symptoms of depression. Data on their use of antidepressants was taken into account, as well as any pointers to alcohol misuse.
The results showed that employees who complained of a poor team spirit at work were 60% more prone to depression and were 50% more likely to using antidepressants as a remedy.
Commenting on the results of the study, the authors said that it was quite clear that more needed to be done in terms of improving the work culture in order to reduce cases of depression. They said that an increased use of antidepressants was a worrying trend, and a more holistic approach to fighting the menace of depression was needed.
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