For many Americans and for better or for worse, a person’s overall mental health is tied directly to his/her job. With that in mind, as the Associated Press/Salon.com report, a new study lists the jobs in which workers report the highest rates of depression:

People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers. Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday. Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues. . . .

Almost 11 percent of personal care workers — which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs — reported depression lasting two weeks or longer. . . .

Workers who prepare and serve food — cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses — had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 percent. In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 percent. The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 percent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.

As sociologists can tell you, it should come as no surprise that the “most depressing” jobs tend to be low-paying, low-skill, low-benefits, low autonomy manual labor service jobs. But here’s the most depressing fact here -- it’s these kinds of low-wage jobs that are some of the fastest-growing occupations in the country.

These kinds of workers will probably need more psychiatrists/therapists as well, no?