Abstract
PurposeCommon mental disorders (CMDs) are becoming increasingly relevant in the working world. Numbers of risk factors have been confirmed by mostly correlative cross-sectional studies. Comprehensive and effective prevention is urgently needed. There is little knowledge about employees’ own perceptions on causes of CMDs and prevention measures. Therefore, a survey was conducted in 2016.MethodsA standardised instrument was developed for an online survey in a commercial access panel, targeted employees in different job types. We assessed two outcomes: perceived relevance of (1) work-related demands to the development of CMDs, and (2) prevention approaches in the workplace and on individual and societal levels. Possible predictive aspects were analysed exploratively by multivariate linear regression analysis.ResultsThe response rate was 75% (n = 610). Job types were categorised as “blue”, “grey” and “white-collar” workers (n = 193, 169, 248). The majority of respondents rated both outcomes consistently as “quite” or “very relevant”; societal prevention strategies were more relevant for non-white-collar workers. Perceived relevance of individual predisposition to develop a CMD was the strongest predictor for both outcomes, indicating the perception that people with higher personal vulnerability might suffer a higher strain from work-related risk factors than others.ConclusionWe assume that participants in our survey judged the relevance of work-related causes of CMDs independently of their own workload. The perceived relevance of prevention measures in different areas is consistent with official guidelines. A possible selection bias due to characteristics of access panel collectives and own direct or indirect experiences with CMD should be critically questioned.
Highlights
An increasing number of scientific studies have shown a significant correlation between common mental disorders (CMDs) and working conditions such as poor work
According to the diathesis–stress model, some people are more susceptible to disorders than others (Belsky and Pluess 2009)
Job types were classified into three categories, distinguishing service occupations (grey-collar workers (Silaski 2012)) from office-based and industrial/craft occupations (white- and blue-collar workers (Stevenson 2010)) as an indicator of the different demands in various occupational fields
Summary
An increasing number of scientific studies have shown a significant correlation between common mental disorders (CMDs) and working conditions such as poor work1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (2019) 92:795–811 organisation, inadequate leadership from supervisors, other difficult social relations in the work environment, or a gap between workplace demands and employees’ competencies (Rothe et al 2017; Harvey et al 2017; Theorell et al 2015; Fernandes and Pereira 2016; Nieuwenhuijsen et al 2010; Finney et al 2013; Nielsen et al 2014; Gregersen et al 2011; Warszewska-Makuch et al 2015).physically active workers, so-called “blue” and “grey-collar workers” in the industrial and craft sectors, have to cope with different psychological distress compared to “white-collar workers” employed predominantly in offices. Private risk factors for CMDs, such as lack of social support or family cohesion, have been discussed (Repetti et al 2002), as has the individual predisposition to mental disorders, for which a large number of gene variations and a high heredity have been claimed; for example, for major depression, the epigenetic part is discussed as being about 40%, for unipolar disorders it is approximately 15% (Januar et al 2015; Gatt et al 2015; Sonnenmoser 2004). According to the diathesis–stress model, some people are more susceptible to disorders than others (Belsky and Pluess 2009)
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