How your job affects mental health

WE spend most of our waking hours at work, so it's no surprise that our jobs can shape our mental health in lasting ways.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

The average person works about 90000 hours in their lifetime. This estimate assumes a 40-hour work week from around age 22 to 65, with holidays and sick leave included.

But new findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) are shining a harsh spotlight on just how deep that connection runs, especially for men.

According to a sweeping analysis of more than 500000 American workers between 2015 and 2019, some jobs come with a far greater emotional toll than others.

Over 80000 people in the study reported being diagnosed with depression in their lifetime, with workers in certain industries feeling the brunt of that burden. And while women were twice as likely to report depression, the data around male-dominated professions may reveal something more hidden and more dangerous.

The jobs most linked to depression

80319 respondents reported a lifetime diagnosis of depression-women at twice the rate of men (JAMA, 2025).

Highest depression rates:

Community & social service.

Food preparation & serving.