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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2008

Open Access 01-12-2008 | Research article

Psychosocial working conditions and the risk of depression and anxiety disorders in the Danish workforce

Authors: Joanna Wieclaw, Esben Agerbo, Preben Bo Mortensen, Hermann Burr, Finn Tuchsen, Jens Peter Bonde

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2008

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Abstract

Background

To examine the risk of depressive and anxiety disorders according to psychosocial working conditions in a large population-based sample.

Methods

Job Exposure Matrix was applied to assess psychosocial working conditions in a population-based nested case-control study of 14,166 psychiatric patients, diagnosed with depressive or anxiety disorders during 1995–1998 selected from The Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register, compared with 58,060 controls drawn from Statistics Denmark's Integrated Database for Labour Market Research.

Results

Low job control was associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorders in men (IRR 1.40, 95% CI 1.24–1.58).
In women an elevated risk of depression was related to high emotional demands (IRR 1.39, 95%CI 1.22–1.58) and to working with people (IRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01–1.30). In both sexes high demands were associated with a decreased risk of anxiety disorders. There was a weak association between job strain and anxiety disorders in men (IRR 1.13, 95%, CI 1.02–1.25)

Conclusion

Psychosocial work exposures related to the risk of depressive and anxiety disorders differ as between the sexes. The pattern of risks is inconsistent. The results give rise to rethinking both study designs and possible causal links between work exposures and mental health.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Psychosocial working conditions and the risk of depression and anxiety disorders in the Danish workforce
Authors
Joanna Wieclaw
Esben Agerbo
Preben Bo Mortensen
Hermann Burr
Finn Tuchsen
Jens Peter Bonde
Publication date
01-12-2008
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2008
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-8-280

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