Labour force activity by people with depression and anxiety disorders: a population‐level second‐order analysis

Abstract

To identify the population-level first- and second-order effects among candidate correlates of labour force activity by people with ICD-10 depression and anxiety disorders. Australian Bureau of Statistics multistage sampling strategies obtained a household sample of 37,580 individuals. Analyses were conducted using multiple binary logistic regression. The impact of depression and anxiety on labour force activity depended on the extent of employment restrictions, age and country of birth. Background second-order effects help explain labour force participation and employment in the wider and predominantly healthy community. A significantly greater proportion of those receiving mental health treatment for anxiety and depression were not in the labour force. These second-order effects reveal the substantial impact of depression and anxiety disorders on labour force activity across the working life. Those with more severe employment restrictions appear to need more intensive and continuous forms of assistance.