Effect of Educational Intervention on General Health and Depression in Temporary Employees

BACKGROUND: Mental health disorders and depression are pervasive and costly problems for workplaces. The aim of this study was to examine the general health and depression in temporary employees and the effect of educational intervention on general health and depression in temporary employees in Isfahan steel company. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was used to examine the effect of intervention among temporary employees of Isfahan steel company. All temporary employees of blast furnaces were studied by census method. Data were collected by questionnaires including GHQ-28, BDI-II before and after a brief three-session CB educational intervention and were analyzed by SPSS12. RESULTS: According to the GHQ-28 scores; 16.9% were suspected to psychological disorders; 3.4% also recorded severe depression. Mean depression scores decreased significantly after the intervention (CI: 3.21-6.94). General health scores also decreased significantly after the intervention (CI: .97-5.03). CONCLUSION: Brief cognitive behavior educational intervention can be considered as a preliminary education for employees to develop skills to cope with depression, and included in a more extensive education to attain longer-term results.