About 30 percent of science and technological workers have suffered symptoms of depression, while 4.2 percent have put their lives at stake, a survey conducted by the China Association for Science and Technology reported recently.

The survey, which consisted of 7,959 respondents, is a follow-up on a 2009 survey on the psychological conditions of the workers in scientific and technological sectors.

According to the survey, the likelihood of scientific and technological workers suffering from depression is rising from 5.26 points in 2009 to the current 6.52 points.

Untreated depression can lead to suicide, as demonstrated in a report by the Center for Diseases Prevention and Control that shows that about 40 percent of suicides result from depression.

Based on the survey, about 33.1 percent of scientific and technological workers under the age of 45 have had symptoms of depression, while 8.6 percent of them are severely affected and in need of further diagnosis and clinical treatment.

Scores of the survey also indicated that male respondents were more susceptible to the disease than their female counterparts and that young workers with less education suffer more frequently than those from higher education institutes.

Chen Zhiyan, the leading researcher of the survey from the Psychological Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the external pressure and less competent adaptabilities played major roles in affecting the psychological conditions of science workers.

Meanwhile, Chen pointed out, the growing statistics may also vindicate the improved awareness of depression among people who used to mistake the disease as a nervous breakdown or fatigue.

Moreover, experts highlighted the importance of healthy sleep patterns for mental health.

Wang Qian, doctor and consultant from the Chinese Committee of International Psychoanalytical Association, said, “As sound sleep is an important factor for the convalescence of brains, people with bad sleep patterns are usually unable to control their moods and withstand pressure.”

“Consequently, the lack of sleep will dent people’s confidence and drive them to doubt regarding their values and positions,” the doctor added.

The survey revealed that the longest work day for scientific and technological workers can last for as long as 16 hours.

During their research, Chen and her teammates found that there are few psychological consultative platforms available to scientific and technological workers to combat depression.

Therefore, the researchers are calling for an online platform that can assess and treat psychological problems.

“The online psychological service will become a proactive response to the earnest demand of people afflicted by depression. It is also very important to people suffering from other psychological problems,” Wang said.

The experts also advised that scientific and technological workers, especially male researchers with low diplomas, incomes and rankings take regular psychological exams.

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