Abstract
Work-related stress is a salient risk factor for depression. While long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) face a myriad of occupational pressures and demands, little research has examined predictors of depressive symptoms in this occupational group. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of depressive symptoms in LHTDs. A cross-sectional study was used to examine depressive symptoms, health and working conditions in a sample of 107 LHTDs (mean age of 50.7 ± 12.3; 95.6% were men) at truck stops from five Western Canadian cities. The findings show that 44% of LHTDs reported symptoms of depression in the past 12 months. Severe work-related stress, the use of psychiatric medications and broken sleep were significant predictors of depressive symptomology accounting for 41% of the variance. The findings suggest that LHTDs experience a host of occupational stressors that are embedded within the transportation industry that may increase the risk for depressive symptoms. Mental health promotion efforts that improve sleep quality, decrease work-related demands and pressures, and increase the use of psychiatric medication may reduce rates of depressive symptoms among LHTDs.
Highlights
Multiple studies show that chronic stress is a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms [1,2,3]
While these characteristics are endemic to the transportation sector, the association between stress and depression or depressive symptoms has not been extensively examined in long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs)
LHTDs experience a host of occupational stressors that are embedded within the transportation environment that put drivers at risk for depression
Summary
Multiple studies show that chronic stress is a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms [1,2,3]. Chronic work-related stress can lead to increasing levels of neurotransmitters (e.g., epinephrine) and hormones (e.g., cortisol) [8,9] resulting in brain degeneration and depressive symptomology [10]. While these characteristics are endemic to the transportation sector, the association between stress and depression or depressive symptoms has not been extensively examined in long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs). LHTD refers to company drivers, lease owner-operators and independent owner-operators that drive a freight truck over thousands of kilometers, and do not return home for days or weeks at a time
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