Depression is a common illness.
At some point in their life, around 1 in every 5 women and 1 in every 10 men will suffer from depression. A similar number will have a less serious depression. Naturally, problems that are common in the general population are common in people at work. In any one year about 3 in every 10 employees will have a mental health problem, and depression is one of the most common. It is not just distressing for the person involved.