British workers 'most depressed in Europe'

By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent

While 26 per cent of British workers have received a diagnosis, only 12 per cent of their Italian colleagues have, found the Impact of Depression in the Workplace in Europe Audit.
 

We are also among the most likely to take time off work due to depression, and spender longer than average on sick leave - 41 days compared to the European mean of 36.
 

Across Europe, one in 10 workers has taken time off for depression, found the survey.
 

Dr Vincenzo Costigliola, president of the European Depression Association said “The results of the IDEA survey show that much needs to be done in raising awareness and supporting employees and employers in recognising and managing depression in the workplace.”
 

Britain's position at the top of league of worker depression may be due in part to awareness and diagnosis being better here than in other countries.
 

 
Emer O'Neill, chief executive of the charity Depression Alliance, said: "We've got much better over the last six or seven years in this country at identifying depression.
 
"People themselves have got better at recognising it, and doctors have got better at diagnosing it and supporting patients.
 
"From our perspecive, we are having much more contact with employers, which is a good thing."
 
As a result she believed the results of teh survey were to be welcomed, as she thought the real incidence of depression was relatively uniform across Europe.
 
However, despite recent changes, she thought that those diagnosed were "still only the tip of the iceberg" and many more struggled on in isolation, with some employees worried that admitting to depression would harm their career prospects.
 Telegraph