ONE in every six depressed Australians can blame their stressful jobs for their mental states, according to a study that calls for more stress support for employees, especially women.
But the controversial findings have not impressed mental health experts who claim that while work can indeed be stressful it is rarely a trigger for clinical depression.
The work, by the University of Melbourne, says about 15 per cent of working people with depression could attribute their illnesses to their employment.
Professor Tony LaMontagne, an occupational health specialist who led the study, said jobs at fault were those where the employee had high demands but little control, with women and people in lower-skilled roles most likely to be affected.
However, depression experts argue that work is rarely a cause of clinical depression.
Professor Gordon Parker, the executive director of Black Dog Institute, said: "Work is usually only a cause of depression if the worker feels devalued, is humiliated or experiences some threat to their sense of self-esteem or self-worth."
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