Top

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Published in:

01-12-2010 | Original Paper

Working conditions and depressive symptoms in the 2003 decennial health survey: the role of the occupational category

Authors: Christine Cohidon, Gaëlle Santin, Ellen Imbernon, Marcel Goldberg

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 12/2010

Abstract

Introduction

The aim of this study is to describe the associations between depressive symptoms and some working conditions according to broad occupational categories in France.

Methods

These data came from the decennial health survey conducted in 2003 in France by the National Institute for Statistics and Economics Studies (6,082 men, 5,521 women). The data collected included: depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale), psychosocial factors at work and potential confounding factors.

Results

Associations between psychosocial work factors and depressive symptoms varied, according to occupational category and sex. Time pressure was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the less advantaged occupational categories. The lack of job control was associated with depressive symptoms only in managers and associate professionals and technicians. Only low social support was systematically associated with depressive symptoms, regardless of occupational category.

Conclusion

These results should be taken into account to adapt strategies of mental health disorders prevention at work, for a better efficacy.

Accortt EE, Freeman MP, Allen JJ (2008) Women and major depressive disorder: clinical perspectives on causal pathways. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 17(10):1583–1590CrossRef

Bijl RV, Ravelli A, Van Zessen G (1998) Prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the general population: results of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr 33:587–595

Blackmore ER, Stansfeld SA, Weller et al (2007) Major depressive episodes and work stress: results from a national population survey. Am J Public Health 97(11):2088–2093

Caron N, Rousseau S (2005) Correction de la non-réponse et calage de l’enquête santé 2002. Document de travail n° M0501. Insee. p 51

Cheng Y, Kawachi I, Coakley EH, Schwartz J, Colditz G (2000) Association between psychosocial work characteristics and health functioning in American women: prospective study. BMS 320:1432–1436

Dewa CS, Lin E (2000) Chronic physical illness, psychiatric disorder and disability in the workplace. Soc Sci Med 51:41–50CrossRefPubMed

D’Souza RM, Strazdins L, Lim LL-Y, Broom DH, Rodgers B (2003) Work and health in a contemporary society: demands, control and insecurity. J Epidemiol Community Health 57:849–854CrossRefPubMed

Dohrenwend BP (1998) A psychosocial perspective on the Past and future of psychiatric epidemiology. Am J Epidemiol 147(3):222–231PubMed

The ESEMeD/MHEDEA 2000 investigators (2004) 12-month comorbidity patterns and associated factors in Europe: results from the European study of the Epidemiology of mental disorders (ESEMeD) project. Acta Psychiatr Scand 109(suppl 420):28–37CrossRef

10.

Fryers T, Melzer D, Jenkins R (2003) Social inequalities and the common mental disorders. A systematic review of the evidence. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 38:229–237CrossRefPubMed

11.

Fuhrer R, Rouillon F (1989) La version française de l’échelle CES-D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale). Description et traduction de l’échelle d’autoévaluation. Psychiatr Psychobiol (4):163–166

12.

Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ, Sederer LI, Mark TL (2002) The business case for quality mental health services: why employers should care about the mental health and well-being of their employees. JOEM 44:320–330PubMed

13.

Grosch JW, Murphy LR (1998) Occupational differences in depression and global health: results from national sample of US workers. JOEM 40(2):153–164PubMed

14.

Hauck K, Rice N (2004) A longitudinal analysis of mental health mobility in Britain. Health Econ 13:981–1001CrossRefPubMed

15.

Insee (1994) Nomenclature des professions et catégories socioprofessionnelles PCS, 2^nd edn.

16.

Karasek RA (1979) Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental Strain: implications for job redesign. Adm Sci Q 24:285–308CrossRef

17.

Laaksonen M, Rahkonen O, Martikaienen P, Lahelma E (2006) Associations of psychosocial working conditions with self-rated general health and mental health among municipal employees. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79:205–212CrossRefPubMed

18.

Lahelma E, Martikainen P, Rahkonen O, Roos E, Saastamoinen P (2005) Occupational class inequalities across key domains of health: results from the Helsinki health study. Eur J pub Health 15(5):504–510CrossRef

19.

Lorant V, Deliège D, Eaton W, Robert A, Philippot P, Ansseau M (2003) Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Epidemiol 157:98–112CrossRefPubMed

20.

Lovell A (2000) Les troubles mentaux. In: Leclerc A, Fassin D, Granjean H, Kaminski M, Lang T (eds) Les inégalités sociales de santé. Editions La Découverte, Paris, pp 251–266

21.

Macleod J, Davey Smith G, Heslop P, Metcalfe C, Caroll D, Hart C (2001) Are the effects of psychosocial exposures attributable to confounding? Evidence from a prospective observational study on psychological stress and mortality. J Epidemiol Community Health 5:878–884CrossRef

22.

Marchand A, Demers A, Durand P (2005) Does work really cause distress? The contribution of occupational structure and work organization to the experience of psychological distress. Soc Sci Med 61:1–14CrossRefPubMed

23.

Mayfield D, McLeod G, Hall P (1974) The CAGE questionnaire: validation of a new alcoholism screening instrument. Am J Psychiatry 131(10):1121–1123

24.

Melchior M, Caspi A, Milne B, Danese A, Poulton R, Moffitt TE (2007) Work stress precipitates depression and anxiety in young, working, women and men. Psychol Med 4:1–11

25.

Muntaner C, Eaton WW, Diala C, Kessleer RC, Sorlie PD (1998) Social class, assets, organizational control and the prevalence of common groups of psychiatric disorders. Soc Sci Med 47(12):2043–2053CrossRefPubMed

26.

Muntaner C, Eaton WW, Miech R, O’Campo P (2004) Socioeconomic position and major mental disorders. Epidemiol Rev 26:53–62CrossRefPubMed

27.

Neboit M, Vézina M (2006) Stress au travail et santé psychique. Octarès, Toulouse, p 310

28.

Niedhammer I, Chastang JF, David S, Barouhiel L, Barrandon G (2006) Psychosocial work environment and mental health: job strain and effort-reward imbalance models in a context of major organizational changes. Int J Occup Environ Health 12:111–119PubMed

29.

Niedhammer I, Chastang JF, David S, Kelleher C (2008) The contribution of occupational factors to social inequalities in health: findings from the national French SUMER survey. Soc Sci Med 67(11):1870–1881CrossRefPubMed

30.

Niedhammer I, David S, Degioanni S, 143 occupational physicians (2006) Association between workplace bullying and depressive symptoms in the French working population. J Psychosom Res 61:251–259CrossRefPubMed

31.

Paterniti S, Niedhammer I, Lang T, Consoli SM (2002) Psychosocial factors at work, personality traits and depressive symptoms. Longitudinal results from the GAZEL Study. Br J Psychiatr 181:111–117CrossRef

32.

Plaisier I, de Bruijn JGM, de Graaf R, ten Have M, Beekman ATF, Penninx BWJH (2007) The contribution of working conditions and social support to the onset of depressive and anxiety disorders among mal and female employees. Soc Sci Med 64:401–410CrossRefPubMed

33.

Rugulies R, Bultmann U, Aust B, Burr H (2006) Psychosocial work environment and incidence of severe depressive symptoms: prospective findings from 5-year follow-up of the Danish work environment cohort study. Am J Epidemiol 163:877–887CrossRefPubMed

34.

Sanderson K, Andrews G (2006) Common mental disorders in the workforce: recent findings from descriptive and social epidemiology. Can J Psychiatry 51(2):63–75PubMed

35.

Stansfeld SA, Fuhrer R, Head J, Ferrie J, Shipley M (1997) Work and psychiatric disorder in the Whitehall II study. J Psychosol Res 43(1):73–81CrossRef

36.

Stansfeld SA, Head J, Marmot MG (1998) Explaining social class differences in depression and well-being. Soc Psychiatry Pychiatr Epidemiol 33:1–9CrossRef

37.

Stansfeld SA, Fuhrer R, Shipley MJ, Marmot MG (1999) Work characteristics predict psychiatric disorder: prospective results from the Whitehall II study. Occup Environ Med 56:302–307CrossRefPubMed

38.

Stansfeld SA, Candy B (2006) Psychosocial work environment and mental health—a meta analytic review. Sand J Work Environ Health 32(6):443–462

39.

Tennant C (2001) Work-related stress and depressive disorders. J Psychol Research 51:697–704

40.

Vézina M, Derriennic F, Monfort C (1999) Tension au travail et atteinte à la santé mentale: l’éclairage de l’enquête ESTEV. In: Travail, santé, vieillissement. Relations et évolutions. Octares Eds. Paris, pp 177–187

41.

Vézina M, Bourbonnais R, Brisson C, Trudel L (2004) Workplace prevention and promotion strategies. Healthc Pap 5(2):32–44PubMed

42.

Waldenström K, Ahlberg G, Bergman P et al (2008) Externally assessed psychosocial work characteristics and diagnoses of anxiety and depression. Occup Environ Med 65:90–96CrossRefPubMed

43.

Wege N, Dragano N, Erbel R et al (2008) When does work stress hurt? Testing the interaction with socioeconomic position in the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. J Epidemiol Community Health 62:338–343CrossRefPubMed

44.

Weissman MM, Sholomskas D, Pottenger M, Prussoff BA, Locke BZ (1977) Assessing depressive symptoms in five psychiatric populations: a validation study. Am J Epidemiol 106:203–214PubMed

Title: Working conditions and depressive symptoms in the 2003 decennial health survey: the role of the occupational category
Authors: Christine Cohidon
Gaëlle Santin
Ellen Imbernon
Marcel Goldberg
Publication date: 01-12-2010
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 12/2010
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0157-7

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Working conditions and depressive symptoms in the 2003 decennial health survey: the role of the occupational category

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 12/2010

Profiles of disability among adults with bipolar spectrum disorders

Validation of the Chinese version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in Hong Kong

Specific phobia predicts psychopathology in young women

Somatic distress among Kosovar civilian war survivors: relationship to trauma exposure and the mediating role of experiential avoidance

Racism, mental illness and social support in the UK

Adoption, family relations and psychotic symptoms among Palauan adolescents who are genetically at risk for developing schizophrenia