Predictors of the work-related depressive symptoms among blue-collar male employees of an industrial unit in Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIM Possible associations between depressive symptoms and work-related parameters have frequently been discussed in the literature. The present study was aimed to evaluate the work-related depressive symptoms and their possible-related parameters among male employees of Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) as one of the most important industrial sites in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS With a cross-sectional design and a stratified random sampling method in 2010, a total of 400 male employees were enrolled from the operational parts of the ESCO. RESULTS Among 400 participated employees, 245 (61.3%) were rotational duty employees and 358 (89.5%) were reported making <$500. After applying the linear regression model, some variables including: economic difficulties (P = 0.022, odds ratio [OR] = 0.558, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.339-0.919), family-related problems (P = 0.003, OR = 0.303, 95% CI = 0.138-0.669), and work environment (P < 0.001, OR = 0.244, 95% CI = 0.140-0.426) were found to be significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms among the participants. CONCLUSION The present study brought to light the predictors of occupational depressive symptoms among blue-collar employees of ESCO. More research is needed to find the causal relations between mental health and work-related parameters among Iranian employees.