Investigating the Relationship between Stress and Self-Rated Health during the Financial Crisis and Recession in 2008: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and Social Support in Spain.

Raquel Sánchez-Recio,Cristina García-Ael,Gabriela Topa

doi:10.3390/jcm10071463

Raquel Sánchez-Recio, Cristina García-Ael + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10071463

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Abstract

Background: the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession had a strong impact on employment and certain health indicators, such as mental health. Many studies carried out with diverse samples attest to the negative influence of stress on health. However, few studies focus on stress and self-rated health among the Spanish workforce, or analyse which variables can act as a buffer against the negative effects of stress on self-perceived health. Aim: to analyse the mediator role of social support and job satisfaction in the relationship between work-related stress and self-rated health among the Spanish working population between 2006 and 2017. Method: repeated cross-sectional study using Spanish Surveys from 2006 to 2017, a total of 32.105 participants (47.4% women) aged 16 years and over (M = 42.3, SD = 10.7) answered a series of questions about work-related stress (PV), self-rated health (CV), job satisfaction, and social support (mediator variables) through the National Health Survey (NHS) prevalences of work-related stress, self-rated health, job satisfaction, and social support were calculated (standardised by age). We performed mediation/moderation analysis with Macro Process for SPSS to analyse the role of social support and job satisfaction in the relationship between self-rated health and work-related stress among the Spanish working population. Results: three mediation analyses were conducted, one for each time point in the study period. The results revealed a significant direct association between stress and job satisfaction. In the 2006 model, both job satisfaction and social support acted as mediators between stress and self-rated health, while in the 2011 and 2017 models, only job satisfaction acted as a mediator. The data reveal that the working population in Spain has a good capacity for resilience, since no drop in health indicators was observed. Conclusion: following the economic recession, employment has partially recovered. However, social and employment policies are required to help the population face the recent situation triggered by the Coronavirus crisis.

Highlights

This study was based on information provided by the National Health Surveys (NHSs) in 2006 [48], 2011 [49], and 2017 [50]
The data pertaining to self-rated health revealed that a constant level was maintained throughout the study period among both men and women, with no statistically significant differences being found between the sexes (p = 0.240)
The 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession had a strong impact on employment, rapidly increasing unemployment, especially in fields linked to the “real-estate” bubble

Summary

Introduction

Since 2008, the European Union (EU) has undergone one of the most severe economic recessions of its history. Numerous countries have experienced a drastic drop in their gross domestic product (GDP), coupled with an increase in public debt and more expensive loans [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Many people have had their financial solvency threatened by job loss, a drop in salary, or reduced public spending on social welfare [7]. Spain is one of the countries where the economic crisis has had the greatest impact. The crisis began in 2008, it was not until the first quarter of 2009 that its first consequences became apparent, and direct and indirect effects of its impact on health can be differentiated [9,10]: A

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