Depression common in low-paid nursing home workers

Symptoms of depressions are common among low-wage nursing home employees, according to a study led by the Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers found that financial pressures, a lack of food and preoccupation at work with troubles at home were among the issues contributing to nearly double the rate of depression among the workers compared to their peers without such stress.

“The high burden of work-family stress and depression in the is group has important public health implications for the workers and their families as well as for the quality of care delivered to nursing home residents,” said Cassandra Okechukwu, Harvard School of Public Health researcher.

Most of the 452 workers in the study were women who were single mothers, recent immigrants unaware of or not eligible for government assistance and members of racial/ethnic minority groups.

The researchers are currently working on an intervention study geared toward addressing the work-family challenges faced by nursing home workers.