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Updated: May 17, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
Repeated job strain and the risk of depression: longitudinal analyses from the Whitehall II study
Stephen A Stansfeld1, Martin J Shipley, Jenny Head
1Centre for Psychiatry, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, UK. s.a.stansfeld@qmul.ac.uk
Objectives:
We addressed whether repeated job strain and low work social support increase the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD).
Methods:
We used work characteristics from Karasek's Job Strain model, measured on 3 occasions over 10 years in a cohort of 7732 British civil servants, to predict subsequent onset of MDD with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.
Results:
Repeated job strain was associated with increased risk of MDD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48, 3.26; high job strain on 2 of 3 occasions vs none) in a fully adjusted model. Repeated low work social support was associated with MDD (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.10, 2.37; low work social support on 2 of 3 occasions vs none). Repeated job strain remained associated with MDD after adjustment for earlier psychological distress.
Conclusions:
Demonstration of an increased association for repeated job strain adds to the evidence that job strain is a risk factor for depression. Recognition and alleviation of job strain through work reorganization and staff training could reduce depression in employees.
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