Evaluation of stress, anxiety, and depression among workers of one copper mine in Kerman Province, Iran, in 2014

Background: The workers of mines, during a working day, are exposed to stress and psychological pressure that certainly affect the efficiency of their work. This study aimed to determine the level of stress, anxiety, and depression in workers of one copper mine in Kerman Province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 250 workers of the operation unit of one copper mine in Kerman Province were examined in 2014. Sampling was done using census method and data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), the validity and reliability of which has been approved. This questionnaire consists of 21 questions that are divided into 3 subscales on depression, anxiety, and stress each containing 7 questions. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software using the Pearson correlation, Spearman’s correlation, and regression tests. Results: The mean age and work experience of subjects were 31.82 ± 8.61 and 6.67± 5.79 years, respectively. Moreover, the education level of 45 individuals (18%) was below diploma, 85 (34%) diploma, 46 (18.4%) associate degree, and 74 (29.6%) bachelor's degree or higher. Furthermore, 194 subjects (65%) were married. In addition, 135 subjects (54%) worked only on day shifts and 115 (46%) of them had shift work. In this study, 98 (39.2%), 88 (34.8%), and 88 (35.2%) employees suffered from depression, anxiety, and moderate and severe stress, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between subjects who worked on day shifts and those who had shift works in terms of stress, depression, and anxiety. In addition, significant relationships were observed between stress, depression, and anxiety in the 4 study groups (P ˂ 0.005). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the rate of stress, anxiety, and depression was high among the examined mine workers.