Occupational factors and subsequent major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders in the prospective French national SIP study.

Isabelle Niedhammer,Jean-François Chastang,Lucile Malard

doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1559-y

Abstract

BackgroundThe literature has been extensive on the associations between psychosocial work factors and mental health. Nevertheless, the studies using prospective design, various concepts and more than one measurement point in time for these factors and diagnostic interview to assess mental disorders remain seldom in the literature. This study is an attempt to fill the gap in this topic.MethodsThe study was based on a national representative sample of 4717 workers of the French working population (SIP survey), interviewed in 2006 and reinterviewed again in 2010 and free of mental disorders at baseline. Psychosocial work factors, measured in both 2006 and 2010, included: psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, reward, emotional demands, role conflict, ethical conflict, tensions with the public, job insecurity and work-life imbalance. Other occupational factors related to working time/hours and physical work environment were also studied. Major depressive (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) were measured using a standardised diagnostic interview (MINI). Covariates were age, occupation, marital status, having a child under 3 y, social support outside work and stressful life events. Multivariate analyses were performed using weighted logistic regression models.ResultsUsing models taking all occupational factors into account simultaneously, low reward and job insecurity predicted MDD. Psychological demands, low reward, emotional demands and job insecurity were predictive of GAD. The more frequent the exposure to job insecurity, the higher the risk of MDD and GAD, and the more frequent the exposure to psychological demands and low reward, the higher the risk of GAD. No effect was observed for repeated exposure to occupational factors.ConclusionsClassical and emergent psychosocial work factors were predictive factors of depression and anxiety with dose–response associations in terms of frequency of exposure. More attention may be needed on emergent psychosocial work factors and frequent exposure to these factors.

Highlights

The literature has been extensive on the associations between psychosocial work factors and mental health
Some psychosocial work factors have been identified as risk factors for common mental disorders or mental health outcomes in reviews or meta-analysis of prospective studies [3,4,5,6,7], these studies being often limited to well-known factors or classical factors such as those related to the job strain and effort-reward imbalance models [8,9]
Men were more likely to be exposed to high psychological demands and ethical conflict, and women were more likely to be exposed to emotional demands and tensions with the public

Summary

Introduction

The literature has been extensive on the associations between psychosocial work factors and mental health. The studies using prospective design, various concepts and more than one measurement point in time for these factors and diagnostic interview to assess mental disorders remain seldom in the literature. Some psychosocial work factors have been identified as risk factors for common mental disorders or mental health outcomes in reviews or meta-analysis of prospective studies [3,4,5,6,7], these studies being often limited to well-known factors or classical factors such as those related to the job strain and effort-reward imbalance models [8,9]. Studies combining these different strengths, prospective design, exploration of various psychosocial work factors, study of both depression and anxiety, use of diagnostic interview, several measurement points of exposure and study of dose– response associations are still missing

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