ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the impact, cost, and burden of depression in the workplace along with treatment options. Depressive disorder exists on a severity gradient from mild forms termed dysthymia to severe crippling forms termed melancholic depressive disorder. One of the oldest and most influential theories is the diathesis stress model. The diathesis-stress model recognizes that a combination of vulnerability may interact with stress and bring about depression. Robert Karasek advocated a revolutionary theory of work stress and illness in proposing the job-demand-control (JD-C) model. The JD-C stipulates that job strain is comprised of two interdependent facets, being job demands and decision latitude. Social support, pair bonding, and the formation of deep connections have been linked to a regulatory hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is released during social contact and acts to buffer stress, reduce threat appraisals, lower defensive mechanisms, and facilitate social contact.
