Work May Ward Off Depression

Many of us spend an estimated 60% or more of our waking hours at work.  Samuel B Harvey, from the University of New South Wales (Australia), and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of studies of workplace interventions aimed at universal prevention of depression.  Nine workplace-based randomized controlled trials (RCT) were identified. The majority of the included studies utilized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques. Data analysis revealed an overall standardized mean difference between the intervention and control groups was 0.16, sufficient to indicate a small positive effect. The study authors submit that: “There is good quality evidence that universally delivered workplace mental health interventions can reduce the level of depression symptoms among workers,” encouraging for: “Evidence-based workplace interventions should be a key component of efforts to prevent the development of depression among adults.”