The percentages of health care practitioners and personal care workers who reported depressive episodes of two weeks or longer in the last year — 9.6 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively — are among the highest in the nation. Both job categories rank in the top four, according to a survey recently published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Mental health professionals cite several reasons that health care workers are prone to depression.

"The hours are long, and sometimes the body has difficulty adjusting to [night] shift work," said Linda Puterbaugh, RN, utilization management nurse with WellStar Outpatient Counseling Services in Marietta. "Working overnight [shifts] and sleeping during the day can be very demanding, but the types of patients nurses work with can be overwhelming as well."

The SAMHSA study concluded that U.S. companies lose between $30 billion and $44 billion per year because of employee depression. While that number includes all occupations, it stands to reason that, with health care jobs near the top of the list, the time and money lost in the field are significant.

"Everyone has down days once in a while, but when you're calling in sick once a pay period or feel down for two weeks or more, it's time to seek help," said Lisa Ann Smith, JD, M.Ed., MAC, CCJS, LPC, manager of WellStar Outpatient Counseling Services. "Depression and stress can manifest themselves in both physical and psychological symptoms, including interrupted sleep patterns, loss of energy, fatigue, changes in appetite, loss of concentration, aches and pains, constipation or diarrhea.

"If you have several of these symptoms and they start to interfere with your work and daily routine, you should seek a professional opinion."

Puterbaugh said that other warning signs can include feelings of worthlessness or prolonged frustration.

"If you look back over your workweek and can't see any pleasure in what you've done, that's a big warning sign," she said. "It's really important that you have some quality downtime to enjoy a hobby, exercise, spend time with your family and take some planned time off periodically. It's crucial to your health."

Emotional releases are a positive way to guard against depression. "Laughing and crying are great releases that can be very effective," Puterbaugh said.

The stigma associated with depression and other mental illnesses has lessened in the last several decades, and it has become more accepted to seek help.

"It doesn't have the same taboos it did 40 years ago," Smith said. "Most research shows that a large portion of society has dealt with depression personally or with close family members. It's a medical condition that can be improved with treatment."

Many hospitals and health care facilities offer employee assistance programs that include access to therapists. If you suspect that you're becoming depressed, you can also talk with your family physician and seek a referral to a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist.

"What we do as health care professionals is rewarding work. Our main goal is to take care of patients," Smith said. "However, we can't do a good job of taking care of others if we don't take care of ourselves."