Depression and occupational injury: results of a pilot investigation.
OBJECTIVE
Even mild clinical depression can cause decreased vigilance, attention span, increased irritability, and insomnia-all well-known precursors to occupational injury. This pilot project explores the relationship between occupational injury and depression.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-one individuals with recent work-related injuries and 140 without work-related injuries completed a self-administered depression screening instrument (PHQ-9). We compared the two groups using bivariate analyses. The impact of depression on injury was examined using logistic regression analysis controlling for employment history, marital status, age, and sex.


RESULTS
Overall, injured workers in this study were not more likely to be depressed than a comparison group of uninjured workers. However, injured women had significantly higher depression scores than non-injured women (P = 0.04); no such difference was found for men.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that depression may serve as a precursor to occupational injury for women.
Peele
Pamela B
PB
Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA. peele@pitt.edu
Tollerud
David J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*