Depression and work impairment

This article estimates the prevalence of depression among employed Canadians aged 25 to 64, and examines its association with work impairment, as measured by reduced work activity, mental health/general disability days, and work absence.

Data are from the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-being and the longitudinal household component of the National Population Health Survey (1994/1995 to 2002/2003).

Cross-tabulations were used to estimate and determine factors associated with the prevalence of depression among the employed population. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine associations between depression and work impairment while controlling for other variables. Longitudinal data for 1994/1995 to 2002/2003 were used to examine the temporal sequence of depression and work impairment.

In 2002, almost 4% of employed people aged 25 to 64 had had an episode of depression in the previous year. Crosssectional analysis indicates that these workers had high odds of reducing work activity because of a long-term health condition, having at least one mental health disability day in the past two weeks, and being absent from work in the past week. Longitudinally, depression was associated with reduced work activity and disability days two years later.