Antidepressants

Depression can have an impact on all aspects of daily life, including on work, and people often carry on for a long time before they seek help. 

In this section people discuss their views and experiences with depression and antidepressants with work.

Experiencing depression at work

Many of the people we talked to faced difficulties at work due to depression. Some said that stress at work had been a major contributing factor to their depression or that feeling depressed increased their stress levels about their jobs.

Symptoms such as insomnia, inability to concentrate, or being unable to motivate themselves to get up and get dressed in the mornings could cause difficulties with work.

People often worried about how others perceived them at work. They had concerns about things such as that they are performing badly or that others thought they were 'lazy' or ‘work shy’.

In some instances, people said it hadn’t been until things reached a breaking point that they finally sought help from the doctor and were prescribed an antidepressant.

Sometimes colleagues noticed that something was wrong. Stephen’s colleague, for example, noticed that he had been taking a lot of time off work for ‘minor’ reasons, which was uncharacteristic, and advised him to see his GP.

Concerns about discussing mental health at work

People worried that if they admitted that they were struggling it could jeopardise their position. They thought they might be judged and that their job security might be compromised, or that they could be seen as ‘slacking’.

Stuart echoed many people’s feelings about talking openly to an employer about mental health problems when he said

‘It’s still very difficult to go into work and say "I’m suffering from depression"; you know, those feelings of failure, you feel that somehow people are going to look down on you, you’re not going to be promoted, you’re going to be first up for redundancy next time around’.

Some people felt embarrassed and didn’t want colleagues to know they were experiencing mental health problems. Emma, who was usually a 'very private person’ felt humiliated when colleagues witnessed her distress at work.

People with depression can become experts at hiding their feelings, which can make it all the more difficult when 'things spill over' into the workplace.

Steve worked in hospitality for many years and said it was a culture in which you had to 'keep up a positive front'. He told us,

‘I’m someone that’s on antidepressants behind the scenes, but actually, if you met me in the work environment you would probably never see me without a smile on my face, and it’s not being fake… I’m just avoiding things’.

Thomas was studying for a PhD when he became unwell. He feared that if the university knew he was unwell and was unable to cope, his funding could be removed and he might lose both his income and home.

‘The consequences for me were quite great with someone in the college thinking that I was quite ill, which I was, but I didn’t want them to know that and I felt that taking antidepressant medication was a sure sign that I was ill and being treated for being ill’.

People said that the culture at their work was often high-pressured and busy, and it could be difficult to admit that you weren’t coping. Several men said that a ‘macho’ culture in their workplace made it harder for them to be open about their mental health.

Stuart and Gerry had both worked in industries where depression was seen as a weakness or was not tolerated. Thomas reflected that ‘If a man breaks down in tears, no one knows quite how to respond. It really, really throws people. It’s quite different’.

Experiences with antidepressants and work 

Andrew said that when he first started taking citalopram it had been difficult to concentrate at work. He was fortunate to have flexibility with his job and so was able to cover up the fact that he wasn’t coping.

When Olivia X. was taking Seroquel (quetiapine) she felt that it stopped her from being able to function creatively at work.

Melanie felt that her position as a manager was compromised because she 'wasn’t on top of things', and she felt that people took advantage of her because of it.

Time off from work and antidepressants

Taking time off work was a major concern for many people. Some said they had been ‘signed off’ by the GP when they had first been prescribed an antidepressant in order to give them time to adjust or to rest.

Thomas and Gerry both found it difficult to take time off work for medical appointments and 'invented excuses' rather than explaining the real reasons for their absences from work.

Rachel had difficulty maintaining regular working hours because of insomnia and the side effects from the antidepressants she was taking. She said,

‘Your job might always start at 9 ‘o’ clock on a Wednesday morning or whatever, but I can’t guarantee what Tuesday night would have been like’.

There may also be financial implications for people with work and time off, as entitlement to sick pay varies. Rachel was unable to work because of severe persistent depression and had problems with meeting assessments for fitness to work and with claiming benefits.

Concerns about disclosing mental health problems at work

Melissa left her job because she was unable to cope while Collette’s employers took her off ‘front line duties’ in her job with emergency services. Collette ended up losing her job.

Commonly, people felt wary about disclosing that they were taking or had taken antidepressants in the past on job applications.

People also worried about medical questionnaires that asked for their medical history. They felt that telling a potential employer they were taking antidepressants, or had done in the past could be detrimental or might even prevent them from being offered employment.

Roisin was very clear that her mental health was 'something to hide'. Her experiences being on selection committees at work reinforced her views: ‘Absolutely no way have I ever disclosed that information because it would mean that I would probably not have got any of the jobs that I’ve had'.

Rachel had mixed feelings: she said, ‘I still don’t know what is the right one to do whether you, you know, I’ve been both I’ve concealed and I’ve been open on, on applications’.

Several people pointed out that any information provided to the employer should be confidential, but nonetheless, not everyone felt confident that it would not influence decisions.

Despite some concerns about potential discrimination, some said they felt that they would declare their medical history to a prospective employer and that they wouldn’t want to work for an employer where mental health problems were seen negatively.

Rachel and Collette said it was important to declare that you were taking antidepressants if it could affect your work; for example, if you had to drive for your job or were taking care of children.

People had mixed views about discussing antidepressants with work colleagues. Steve noticed differences between organisations he’d worked at in the South of England compared with in the North. He said that when he was in London, ‘Even though we were friendly, you wouldn’t go into your office and start talking about antidepressants’.

In contrast, when he went to stay with his parents who lived in the North of England, he said that ‘People are more open about it up here... they hide it a bit more down south… somebody turned around to me and said, when I was first put on them, you have no idea that most of the people around you are medicated’.

Tim worked for a psychotherapy organisation and reflected on how much he told his colleagues about taking antidepressants: ‘I don’t think I ever mentioned I was taking antidepressants, but I did mention that I was doing psychotherapy’.

Mental health support at work

Although some people experienced discrimination and prejudice in the workplace, many were surprised to find that employers, managers, and colleagues had all been very supportive.

Some people had been offered help from occupational health departments at work or were given access to workplace counselling schemes. Employers had allowed people to reduce their hours, work flexibly, or to gradually return to work on a ‘phased basis'.

Colleagues had also often been supportive and helpful. Sometimes people found that being open about being on an antidepressant encouraged others to do the same, so they ended up ‘comparing notes’ with people at work. 

Although it can be difficult to be open about being depressed and about taking antidepressants, some people said that they made a point of telling people they worked with because it was helpful for others to know.

Stuart reflected that he ‘was surprised by people’s reaction... at how sympathetic people were and how many people at work actually said, you know, I feel the same way’.

Depression and mental health-related professions

Several people were employed or did voluntary work in professions concerned with mental health and were able to draw on their own experiences, or said that they were attracted to that kind of work through their experience of being treated for mental health problems.

For example, Simon was a GP who specialised in mental health and psychiatry while Collette worked for the emergency services and Tim worked for a psychotherapy organisation.

Last reviewed: July 2025.
​Last updated: July 2025.