Introduction Call centers have been recognized as the largest sub-sector of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country, and among BPO employees, major health concerns, like noncommunicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, and mental health problems particularly depression, have been identifed. This study aimed to determine the proportion of call center agents with depressive symptoms and to identify the factors associated with the levels of depression. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on call center agents handling North American accounts using a 4-part survey on socio-demographic information, job-related data, perceived stress scale and depression inventory. Multiple logistic regression with model building using backward selection was performed to determine factors associated with the level of depression. Results Three hundred thirty-three night shift call center agents were included, of which 78% had depression; 19.8% were moderately depressed, 17.1% were severely depressed, and 12.6% were extremely depressed. Inter-relationships among study variables using multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that among those with a family history of depression, the odds of having moderate to extreme depression was 29.3 times more among those who had inadequate sleep compared to those with adequate sleep (p = 0.042), controlling for the confounding effect of gender, age group, civil status, income and perceived stress. Conclusion Almost 78.3% of graveyard call center agents had some form of depression, with 19.8% to be moderately depressed. Inadequate sleep was the most important factor associated with depression, in relation to family history of depression, gender, age group, civil status, income, and perceived stress.
ISSN 2244-4378 (Print)
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