Untreated depression in a working population

An attempt was made to assess the six months' prevalence rate of depression in a working population. The survey involved a total of 233 employees, in entertainment industry. Out of the total population of 233, 77 were to participate in the survey because of shift work and 18 refused. One hundred and thirty-eight probands were investigated, a compliance rate of 88.46%. Results show a very high prevalence of depressive illness in working population (9.4%); 21.7% showed "depressive symptoms only" and "terminal insomnia only". The majority of sufferers, particularly the males, remains untreated. The similarity of our findings compared to several well-controlled studies is striking, but this report can only be regarded as preliminary, and further in-depth investigations will have to be carried out.