Most Depressed Workers in Europe - Recession Hitting Britain Hard

Across Europe, one in 10 workers has taken time off for depression, found the survey. Britain's position at the top of league of worker depression may be due in part to awareness and diagnosis being better here than in other countries.

British workers are among the most likely to take time off work due to depression, and spender longer than average on sick leave - 41 days compared to the European mean of 36. Emer O'Neill, chief executive of the charity Depression Alliance, said: "We've got much better over the last six or seven years in this country at identifying depression."People themselves have got better at recognising it, and doctors have got better at diagnosing it and supporting patients."From our perspecive, we are having much more contact with employers, which is a good thing."

 

However, despite recent changes, she thought that those diagnosed were "still only the tip of the iceberg" and many more struggled on in isolation, with some employees worried that admitting to depression would harm their career prospects.

 

During the never ending recesssion employees remain worried about extreme performace targets while uncertainly about job security is keeping them always worried.