Correlations among occupational stress, fatigue, and depression in call center employees in Seoul

[Purpose] This study identified correlations among occupational stress, fatigue, and depression in call center employees in South Korea. [Subjects and Methods] This study consisted of 150 call center workers. A cross-sectional design was adopted. Tools including the Effort-Reward Imbalance, Checklist Individual Strength, and Depression scales were used to measure levels of stress, fatigue, and depression. [Results] There were statistically significant differences between fatigue and depression. We found that fatigue significantly predicted the level of depression among Korean call center employees (adjusted R(2)= 0.227). [Conclusion] Call center employees who experienced great emotional stress appeared to have high levels of depression, and fatigue was a powerful factor influencing their depression.