Hell is other people? Gender and interactions with strangers in the workplace influence a person's risk of depression.

Sebastian Fischer,Anita Wiemer,Jörn Moock,Wulf Rössler,Laura Diedrich,Stephen E Gilman

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103501

Sebastian Fischer, Anita Wiemer + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103501

Copy DOI

Abstract

We suggest that interactions with strangers at work influence the likelihood of depressive disorders, as they serve as an environmental stressor, which are a necessary condition for the onset of depression according to diathesis-stress models of depression. We examined a large dataset (N = 76,563 in K = 196 occupations) from the German pension insurance program and the Occupational Information Network dataset on occupational characteristics. We used a multilevel framework with individuals and occupations as levels of analysis. We found that occupational environments influence employees’ risks of depression. In line with the quotation that ‘hell is other people’ frequent conflictual contacts were related to greater likelihoods of depression in both males and females (OR = 1.14, p<.05). However, interactions with the public were related to greater likelihoods of depression for males but lower likelihoods of depression for females (ORintercation = 1.21, p<.01). We theorize that some occupations may involve interpersonal experiences with negative emotional tones that make functional coping difficult and increase the risk of depression. In other occupations, these experiences have neutral tones and allow for functional coping strategies. Functional strategies are more often found in women than in men.

Highlights

The classic quote ‘hell is other people’ from Sartre’s play ‘No Exit’ [1] alludes to the discomfort that most people occasionally feel when they are around strangers and cannot leave the situation
This result indicates that a proportion of 7% of all diagnoses were depression diagnoses (Proportions are calculated prop = OR/1+OR [38]), and the average risk for a diagnosis of depression compared to other diagnoses varies across occupations
These results indicate that the males had a reduced risk of depression diagnosis compared to the females (1 = male, 0 = female; OR = .55, p,.001) – men were diagnosed with a proportion of 36% of all depression diagnoses

Summary

Introduction

The classic quote ‘hell is other people’ from Sartre’s play ‘No Exit’ [1] alludes to the discomfort that most people occasionally feel when they are around strangers and cannot leave the situation. The impossibility of escaping from human contact is symbolized by a peculiar vision of hell; i.e. a room in which strangers are locked together for eternity. The scientific literature on service occupations has identified interpersonal contacts with non-familiar others, coupled with an inescapable situation, as a major stressor [2,3,4]. Frequent service interactions with strangers may even increase depressive symptoms and lead to more absence from work [5]. We investigated gender differences in the relationship between interactions with strangers in the workplace and the likelihood of severe depression necessitating rehabilitation. We emphasized that the emotional tones that accompany every act of typical interactions at work are relevant to the onset of depression

Methods

Results

Conclusion