Chronic depression is linked with socioeconomic status, with low and middle-class workers at significantly increased risk of developing the mood disorder, according to a new study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
French researchers looked at 12,650 male and female adults, following them over a period of 13 years between 1996 and 2008. Looking at those volunteers who had developed depression during the study period, the researchers found that the rates of depression tended to depend on professional status.
"People who work in middle and low socioeconomic groups are up to 4.5 times more likely to develop long-term depression than those in the highest social and professional categories," explained researcher Maria Melchior.
As well as looking at the standard risk factors – such as age, gender, family history and health issues – doctors should also take the patient’s socioeconomic and professional status into account when treating depression, concluded the researchers.