One in five working Canadian women experience depression or anxiety, which has caused some women to avoid or even quit work, according to a national study released Monday.

The study was conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Wyeth Canada, a pharmaceutical company. It found that 71 per cent of respondents said depression and anxiety was a barrier to success, compared to 23 per cent who found pregnancy to be a barrier.

"This survey confirms that there's a serious need to address mental health issues in the workplace, especially among women who are actually being held back due to the lack of support available to help them manage these conditions," Canadian Mental Health Association CEO Penny Marrett said in a statement.

"The sooner employers address these issues, the sooner they will see increased productivity, improved morale and a more successful work environment for all."

The survey found that most of the women who experience depression or anxiety are:

• between the ages of 35 and 55;
• live in a city or a suburban community; and
• have children.

"These women cross most occupation types, education levels and income segments," the report said.

Shirley Addison, a psychotherapist at the Brief Psychotherapy Centre for Women, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, says that when women face troubled times, even if they are blameless, they "internalize problems. We tend to take the blame or responsibility for things."

Addison says the second wave of feminism has brought women "more options, but also at the same time, there are a lot more pressures. We are into multiple roles and as women, we are often scrutinized."

Addison adds that socioeconomic factors mean that women still get paid less than men, and this weighs particularly on single mothers.

As well, the study found that:

• three out of four women felt overwhelmed at work;
• 59 per cent felt unmotivated to finish tasks;
• 55 per cent found it hard to get to work;
• 44 per cent stayed home from work.

To combat these feelings, one in four women said they hid in washrooms or in other locations at their workplace to avoid their colleagues.

The cost of anxiety and depression has been high, with one in 10 women reporting she lost her job as a result.

Only half of women interviewed were aware of available workplace employee assistance programs.

"The results of this survey drive home the need for improving the detection and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in the workplace," Dr. Sidney H. Kennedy, Psychiatrist-in-Chief, University Health Network said in a statement.

Most women (91 per cent) want better and more accessible help from their workplace. Options include:

• counsellors or professionals on site;
• more company resources available; and
• making these resources better known.

The study also found regional differences: More women in British Columbia were diagnosed with depression and anxiety at 18 per cent than those from eastern regions such as 12 per cent in Ontario and 12 per cent in Quebec.

Prairie women were most likely to discuss symptoms with friends, family members, work colleagues or bosses, but they were also most likely not to seek help because "they believe their feelings are just something they have to live with."

The study is based on telephone interviews with 1,508 working women over 18 who were diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety, or who met diagnostic criteria.