What jobs have mental health?

Mental health is an important issue that affects people in all lines of work. However, some jobs tend to have better mental health outcomes than others. In the opening paragraphs, we’ll provide a quick overview answering which jobs are generally associated with good mental health and which ones tend to have more mental health challenges.

Table of Contents

Jobs with Good Mental Health

Here are some examples of jobs that tend to support good mental health:

Nurses – Nursing often provides a sense of purpose and meaning which contributes to good mental health. Nurses work closely together and build strong bonds which gives social support.

Teachers – Teaching allows creativity and forming meaningful connections with students. Teachers get a sense of purpose. Summers off also provide a nice break.
Psychologists – Psychologists are trained in strategies to manage stress and mental health. Their work gives a sense of purpose.
Creative professions – Artists, musicians, writers have outlets for self-expression and creativity. Their work is intrinsically rewarding.

Counselors – Counselors find meaning helping others through mental health struggles. They build skills to manage their own stress.

In general, jobs that provide a sense of purpose, human connection, autonomy, and work-life balance tend to promote better mental health.

Jobs with Mental Health Challenges

Here are some examples of jobs associated with higher rates of mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse:

Customer service – Dealing with frustrated customers all day can be mentally draining. The work is often repetitive with little autonomy.
Doctors – Long stressful hours with life and death responsibilities contribute to high rates of physician burnout and mental health struggles.
Lawyers – The adversarial nature of law practice creates high stress. Work-life balance is often poor.

Sales – Commission-based sales jobs create financial stress. Rejection from customers takes a toll.
Executives – The pressure of high-stakes decision making creates heavy mental strain. Work hours tend to be long.

In general, jobs with low autonomy, high stress, poor work-life balance, and lack of human connection have higher risks of mental health problems.

Mental Health by Occupational Category

Looking more broadly, rates of mental health issues tend to vary across different occupational categories:

Occupational Category	Mental Health Outlook
Creative professions	Good
Healthcare practitioners	Good to average
Education and libraries	Good to average
Community and social services	Average
Sales related	Average to poor
Office support	Average to poor
Transportation	Poor
Legal occupations	Poor

Creative professions tend to have the best mental health outcomes as they provide self-expression and intrinsic rewards. Healthcare and education also score well by providing meaning and human connection. Sales, office work, transportation, and legal occupations tend to have higher stress and lower autonomy leading to poorer mental health.

Factors that Promote Positive Mental Health at Work

What makes some jobs mentally healthier than others? Here are some key factors that promote good mental health in the workplace:

Autonomy – Having freedom in how you do your work reduces stress.
Work-life balance – Reasonable hours and flexibility helps prevent burnout.
Social connection – Having quality relationships with coworkers provides support.

Meaning and purpose – Finding your work meaningful gives you fulfillment.
Variety – Diverse tasks prevent boredom and monotonous routine.
Recognition – Feeling valued and accomplished improves self-esteem.

Jobs that provide more of these qualities will tend to have employees with better mental health. Organizational and management factors like workplace culture, leadership style, and diversity/inclusion initiatives can also influence mental health.

Best Jobs for Introverts

For introverted personalities, jobs with a high amount of social interaction can be mentally draining. Here are some of the best jobs for introverts that provide more solitary work:

Computer programmers – Get to focus independently on writing code.

Archivists – Work alone organizing records and data.
Medical records technicians – Process health records with minimal contact with patients.
Watch repairers – Repair intricate watches and clocks in peace.

Photographers – Can work independently in the field capturing images.
HVAC technicians – Install and repair heating/cooling systems with little interaction.

Introverts tend to thrive in roles that provide autonomy while limiting social demands. Working remotely also aids their mental health by reducing office socializing.

Best Jobs for Highly Sensitive People

Highly sensitive people (HSPs) are more emotionally reactive and can be overwhelmed by noisy, hectic, or emotionally taxing environments. Here are some good job options for highly sensitive personalities:

Librarians – Help people find information in a quiet, orderly setting.
Graphic designers – Use creativity visually with mostly independent work.

Massage therapists – Provide therapeutic touch in a calm environment.
Interior designers – Design home/office spaces remotely or on-site.
Nature photographers – Spend peaceful time outdoors capturing images.

Craft artists – Have solitary time creating art/pottery/glasswork.

Roles that limit exposure to noise, frequent interruptions, and emotional turmoil allow HSPs to manage their sensitivities and thrive.

Jobs with High Rates of Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions that can affect someone’s ability to work effectively. Here are jobs with above average rates of depression:

Nurses – Exposure to trauma and end of life care takes a toll. Shift work disrupts sleep.
Lawyers – Adversarial nature of the work causes heavy stress.
Customer service – Dealing with angry clients daily is draining.

Teachers – Stress from standardized testing, lack of resources, and overwhelmed classrooms.
Physicians – Long irregular hours contribute to high physician depression rates.
Police officers – Exposure to trauma coupled with stress and danger.

Depression thrives when people are overworked, sleep-deprived, and emotionally drained. High-stress jobs with lots of human misery exposure carry risks.

Jobs with High Rates of Anxiety

Here are examples of jobs with greater likelihood of developing anxiety disorders:

Performers – Stage fright and pressure to entertain triggers anxiety.

Politicians – Constant public scrutiny causes frequent anxiety.
Emergency responders – Trauma exposure leads to elevated anxiety.
Financial analysts – Markets are unpredictable leading to money anxiety.

Software developers – Tight deadlines and pressure to innovate induces anxiety.
Scientists – Anxiety about producing groundbreaking research and winning grants.

Jobs with publicity pressures, trauma exposure, and high-stakes outcomes tend to correlate with higher anxiety rates.

Jobs with High Rates of Substance Abuse

Workplace substance abuse is strongly connected with mental health problems. Here are occupations with high rates of alcohol or drug abuse issues:

Restaurant workers – Easy access to alcohol leads to high rates of abuse.
Construction workers – The physically demanding nature leads many to self-medicate.

Surgeons – Easy access to prescription drugs can develop into addictions.
Hospitality workers – Alcohol and drug use with partying lifestyle.
Taxi drivers – Long lonely hours on the road contribute to alcohol abuse.

Police officers – Stress causes higher rates of alcohol addiction.

High-stress jobs with long hours and easy access to substances tend to have elevated rates of abuse. Emotional pain often leads people to self-medicate.

Best Jobs for Work-Life Balance

Strong work-life balance promotes better mental health by preventing burnout. Here are some examples of jobs that offer a good work-life balance:

University professors – Have flexibility in schedule plus long summer breaks.
Physical therapists – Help patients improve movement and manage pain.
Software developers – In-demand skills let developers work flexible schedules.

Occupational therapists – Aid patients in recovering/gaining life skills.
Data scientist – Analyze data to guide business decisions.
Technical writers – Document complex information to educate readers.

Roles with schedule flexibility, good salaries, and reasonable hours allow a healthy work-life balance for improved mental health.

Most Mentally Healthy Work Environments

In addition to occupational factors, the work environment also hugely impacts mental health. Here are some examples of mentally healthy workplaces:

Educational institutions – Schools and universities promote learning and providing value to students.

Creative agencies – Companies focused on design, media, and communications champion creativity.
Nonprofits – Nonprofits devoted to social/environmental causes provide meaning and purpose.
Outdoor recreation companies – Getting outside improves mental health.

Wellness/fitness industry – Helping people improve their health is rewarding.
Mental health organizations – Providing psychotherapy and mental health treatment services.

Organizations allowing self-expression, personal growth, and prosocial impact typically support mental well-being.

Most Mentally Stressful Work Environments

On the other hand, these types of workplaces often have high rates of mental health problems:

Law firms – Hostile adversarial work causes anxiety and depression.
Hedge funds – Hypercompetitive culture creates constant stress.

Tech startups – Extreme overtime hours to get MVPs out quickly burn people out.
Hospitals – Life and death stakes coupled with understaffing is mentally draining.
Call centers – Repetitive, highly regimented work monitored for efficiency.

Warehouses – Physical labor in noisy, fast-paced environments with little autonomy.

Toxic work cultures that dehumanize employees and focus solely on outcomes tend to harm mental health.

Causes of Mental Stress at Work

What are the primary causes of work-related mental health problems? Key factors include:

Heavy workloads – When work volume and responsibilities exceed ability, stress skyrockets.
Toxic workplace culture – Environments where people feel mistreated, devalued, or disrespected affect mental health.
Lack of social support – Insufficient personal connections at work removes a key coping resource.

Perfectionism – Some personalities hold exceedingly high standards that increase anxiety and self-judgment.
Trauma exposure – Jobs involving death, crisis, violence, or tragedy take an emotional toll.
Poor work-life balance – No separation between work and personal life leads to burnout.

Both individual tendencies and workplace variables can create risky conditions for mental health problems.

Improving Mental Health in the Workplace

How can companies create a psychologically healthy work environment? Here are some best practices:

Offer mental health days and resources like an employee assistance program (EAP).

Encourage open communication about stress and provide mental health training.
Set clear priorities and scope of responsibilities to prevent unreasonable workloads.
Help employees set manageable goals and offer feedback on progress.

Allow for flexible schedules when possible to support work-life balance.
Create social events to build relationships between coworkers.
Give recognition and show appreciation for employees’ contributions.

Promoting transparent communication, reasonable expectations, work-life balance, social connection, and appreciation improves mental health.

Key Takeaways

In summary, here are some of the key points on jobs and mental health:

Creative, healthcare, and teaching roles tend to have good mental health.

Sales, office work, transportation, and legal jobs often have higher stress.
Autonomy, work-life balance, social support, meaning, and variety promote mental health.
Introverts do best in autonomous jobs with limited social demands.

Highly sensitive people thrive in calm, emotionally stable roles.
Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse vary across occupations.
Improving work culture, communication, and work-life balance supports mental health.

Mental health at work depends on the occupation’s inherent characteristics and the organization’s environment. Promoting healthy working conditions and cultures allows all employees to thrive and brings out their full potential.