Employment and Major Depressive Episode

Employment and Major Depressive Episode

brief keys
- The rate of any current employment among adults aged 18 to 64 who experienced major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year was lower in 2007 (63.2 percent) than in either 2004 (68.8 percent) or 2006 (66.9 percent)

- In each year from 2004 to 2007, the rate of full-time employment was lower among those with MDE than among those without MDE

- Combined data from 2004 to 2007 indicate that the difference in the rate of any current employment between those with and without MDE was especially high for males, adults aged 26 or older, those who lived in non-metropolitan counties, and those who had received government assistance in the past year

The inability to find and maintain meaningful employment is a major issue for individuals who experience mental disorders.1,2 Barriers to employment among those with mental disorders include lack of confidence, fear and anxiety, gaps in work history, social stigma, and workplace discrimination and inflexibility.3 The co-occurrence of mental disorders and unemployment can be a cycle in which a person’s mental condition can make it difficult to get or maintain employment, and the strain of unemployment can worsen a person’s mental condition. As a result, there is a need for additional services, such as supported employment programs, for those with mental disorders.4

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes questions about current employment (full time or part time), as well as about major depressive disorder (MDE). NSDUH defines “full-time employment” as usually working 35 or more hours per week and either working in the past week or having a job despite not working in the past week.

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http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/162/Employment.pdf