TY - JOUR

T1 - Precarious Work as Risk Factor for 5-Year Increase in Depressive Symptoms

AU - Demiral, Yucel

AU - Ihle, Tobias

AU - Rose, Uwe

AU - Conway, Paul Maurice

AU - Burr, Hermann

PY - 2022/3/8

Y1 - 2022/3/8

N2 - OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between precarious work and depressive symptoms in a representative cohort of employees in Germany.METHODS: In the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) ( n = 2009), depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Precarious work was measured through baseline (2012) self-reported job insecurity, marginal part-time, fixed-term contract, hourly wage and-during follow-ups 2012-2017-unemployment. Among employees without depressive symptoms at baseline (2012), we ran logistic regression analyses stratified by gender with depressive symptoms at follow-up in 2017 as the dependent variable, adjusting for baseline (2012) age, gender, socioeconomic position and partner status. RESULTS: Among men, job insecurity (OR: 2.47; 95% 95% CI: 1.37-4.48) and low wage (3.79; 1.64-8.72) at baseline were significantly associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among women, indicators of precarious work were not associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among men, a cumulative exposure index of precarious work was significantly associated with the development of depressive symptoms (one indicator: 1.84; 0.94-3.60, ≥two indicators: 7.65; 3.30-17.73). This index was not associated with depressive symptoms among women. The population attributable fraction of precarious work due to depressive symptoms among men was approximately 30%.CONCLUSIONS: Among employees in Germany, precarious work seems to be a risk factor for the subsequent development of depressive symptoms among men, but not among women. Research on precarious employment in different countries is needed.

AB - OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between precarious work and depressive symptoms in a representative cohort of employees in Germany.METHODS: In the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) ( n = 2009), depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Precarious work was measured through baseline (2012) self-reported job insecurity, marginal part-time, fixed-term contract, hourly wage and-during follow-ups 2012-2017-unemployment. Among employees without depressive symptoms at baseline (2012), we ran logistic regression analyses stratified by gender with depressive symptoms at follow-up in 2017 as the dependent variable, adjusting for baseline (2012) age, gender, socioeconomic position and partner status. RESULTS: Among men, job insecurity (OR: 2.47; 95% 95% CI: 1.37-4.48) and low wage (3.79; 1.64-8.72) at baseline were significantly associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among women, indicators of precarious work were not associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among men, a cumulative exposure index of precarious work was significantly associated with the development of depressive symptoms (one indicator: 1.84; 0.94-3.60, ≥two indicators: 7.65; 3.30-17.73). This index was not associated with depressive symptoms among women. The population attributable fraction of precarious work due to depressive symptoms among men was approximately 30%.CONCLUSIONS: Among employees in Germany, precarious work seems to be a risk factor for the subsequent development of depressive symptoms among men, but not among women. Research on precarious employment in different countries is needed.

KW - Depression/epidemiology

KW - Employment/psychology

KW - Female

KW - Germany/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Unemployment

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19063175

DO - 10.3390/ijerph19063175

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35328860

VL - 19

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

SN - 1661-7827

IS - 6

M1 - 3175

ER -