Precarious employment associated with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in adult wage workers

Association of low-quality employment with the development of suicidal thought and suicide planning in workers: A longitudinal study in Korea

BACKGROUND

Employment quality stands as a crucial social determinant impacting workers' health. In this study, we investigate the association between low-quality employment and the emergence of suicidal thoughts and planning.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 7,797 Korean workers, amounting to 30,945 observations. Low-quality employment was characterized by three primary dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and a lack of rights and protection. We employed a generalized estimating equation to probe the link between experiencing low-quality employment and the occurrence of suicidal thought and planning within the subsequent year. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated.

RESULTS

The overall incidence rates for suicidal thought and planning were 1.5% and 0.2%, respectively, across the observations. Workers with the lowest employment quality demonstrated higher propensities to develop both suicidal thought (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.37-3.06) and planning (OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.08-10.64) at the following year, compared with workers with the highest overall employment quality. Specifically, daily employment exhibited associations with the onset of suicidal thought (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.17-2.31) and suicide planning (OR: 3.49, 95% CI: 1.54-7.92) when compared to permanent employment. Additionally, individuals in the lowest monthly wage quartile displayed a heightened likelihood of developing suicidal thought (OR: 2.09, CI: 1.36-3.23) compared with those in the highest quartile.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that low-quality employment is associated with the onset of suicidal thought and suicide planning at follow-up. Therefore, employment quality is a critical social determinant of workers' mental health.

Precarious employment and the onset of depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use in middle-aged or older workers: A Korean longitudinal study (2006-2022)

Although precarious employment (PE) has emerged as a growing public health concern, research on older adults is scarce. This study explored the associations between PE and the onset of depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use among middle-aged and older workers. A total of 2536 Korean waged workers aged ≥45 years contributed 8486 observations from 2006 to 2022. PE was defined as a multidimensional construct that includes employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and a lack of worker rights and protection. Depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the CAGE questionnaire. Generalized estimating equations were employed to determine the association of PE with depressive symptoms and problematic alcohol use after the two-year follow-up. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Women, individuals with older age and low educational background, and blue-collar workers were more likely to belong to the high PE group. For individual indicators of PE, daily employment (RR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05-1.53), the lowest wage quartile (RR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01-1.72), and lack of trade union (RR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10-2.17) were positively associated with depressive symptom onset in the follow-up. Compared with the group with the lowest overall PE, the group with the highest PE exhibited increased risks of experiencing the onset of depressive symptoms (RR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.27-2.08) and problematic alcohol use (RR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.16-5.17) in the follow-up. This study suggests that PE is a major social determinant of older workers' mental health.

Subjective household poverty as a moderator for the association between employment precariousness and mental health across five european welfare state types

Objectives

To create better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between employment precariousness (EP) and mental health by considering household poverty as a moderator while stratifying for gender across welfare state types (WSTs): Scandinavian, South European, Central- and East European, Bismarckian and Anglo-Saxon.

Methods

Data from the sixth wave of the European Working Conditions Survey (N = 18,725) was used. The Employment Precariousness Scale was used to assess EP on a continuous scale. Mental health was measured using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. A binary variable for subjective household poverty was created. We estimated gender-stratified, multi-level models with a random intercept at country-level for the association between EP and mental health, with an interaction term between EP and subjective household poverty, for each WST separately. Models were adjusted for age, education, having a partner and having children under age 18 in the household.

Results

In all WSTs, among men as well as women, we found a negative relation between EP and mental health. Among women, this relation was not moderated by household poverty. Among men in the Anglo-Saxon WST, the negative relation between EP and mental health was stronger among employees that reported household poverty compared to those who did not report household poverty.

Conclusions

Evidence of a moderating effect of household poverty on the association between EP and mental health was only found amongst men in the Anglo-Saxon WSTs and the combined full sample. Other factors that might affect the association between EP and mental health should be investigated.

Association Between Economic Activity and Depressive Symptoms Among Women With Parenting Children

BACKGROUND

Balancing parenting and work life poses challenges for women with children, potentially making them vulnerable to depression owing to their dual responsibilities. Investigating working mothers' mental health status is important on both the individual and societal levels. This study aimed to explore the relationship between economic activity participation and depressive symptoms among working mothers.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional study and used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. The participants in the study were women aged 19 to 50 who were residing with their children. In the total, 3,151 participants were used in the analysis. The independent variable was economic activity, categorized into two groups: 1) economically active and 2) economically inactive. The dependent variable was the depressive symptoms, categorized as present for a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score of ≥ 10 and absent for a score < 10. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between economic activity and depressive symptoms, and sensitivity analyses were performed based on the severity of depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Among women with children, economically active women had reduced odds ratio of depressive symptoms compared with economically inactive women (odds ratio [OR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.80). In additional analysis, women working as wage earners had the lowest odds of depressive symptoms (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.28-0.66). Women working an average of 40 hours or less per week were least likely to have depressive symptoms (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.25-0.69).

CONCLUSION

Economic activity is significantly associated with depressive symptoms among women with children. Environmental support and policy approaches are needed to ensure that women remain economically active after childbirth.

Interaction between old age and precarious employment on poor mental well-being in workers: Evidence from a nationally representative sample in Korea

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the relationship between precarious employment (PE) and mental well-being, focusing on age-specific interactions.

METHODS

Nationally representative Korean workers (N = 29,961) were surveyed between 2020 and 2021 to collect data on multidimensional PE (categorized as low, moderate, or high) and the WHO-5 well-being index. Workers' ages were classified as young (<35 years), middle-aged (35-54 years), and older (≥55 years). Logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The interaction between PE and age on well-being was examined by including interaction terms in the regression models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of poor well-being was 25%, 29%, and 39% for low, moderate, and high precariousness, respectively, whereas it was 26%, 30%, and 39% for young, middle-aged, and older workers, respectively. In the overall sample, the OR (95% CI) of the association between PE and poor well-being was 1.24 (1.17-1.32) for moderate and 1.54 (1.43-1.65) for high precariousness, compared with low precariousness. There was a significant interaction between old age and PE on the odds of poor well-being. Compared with young workers with low PE, middle-aged workers with high PE (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.62-2.10) and older workers with high PE (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.83-2.40) exhibited increased odds of having poor mental well-being.

CONCLUSION

PE serves as a social determinant of older workers' psychological well-being. Policy interventions are required to protect older workers' psychological well-being.

Association between precarious employment and the onset of depressive symptoms in men and women: a 13-year longitudinal analysis in Korea (2009-2022)

AIMS

Increasing social concern surrounds the potential adverse health effects of precarious employment (PE). In this study, we explored the association between PE and the onset of depressive symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 11,555 Korean waged workers (5700 females) contributed 62,217 observations from 2009 to 2022. PE was operationalized as a multidimensional construct, including employment insecurity, income inadequacy and lack of rights and protection. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (11-item version). The association between PE and the onset of depressive symptoms in the subsequent year was estimated using generalized estimating equations. Effect sizes were reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

The overall incidence of depressive symptoms was 8.3% during the study period. In cross-sectional analysis, daily employment, disguised employment, lower monthly wages and lack of social insurance coverage were associated with concurrent depressive symptoms in both men and women. Longitudinally, fixed-term employment (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07-1.29), daily employment (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.45-1.85) and disguised employment (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.17-1.57) were associated with the onset of depressive symptoms among the overall sample. Among men, the lowest quartiles of wage were associated with the onset of depressive symptoms (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.13-1.60), while the absence of a trade union was associated among women (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01-1.39).

CONCLUSIONS

Employment insecurity, inadequate income and lack of rights and protection may contribute to depressive symptoms. Therefore, PE serves as a significant social determinant of mental health among workers in Korea. Active policy efforts are warranted to improve the overall quality of employment in the workforce.

Association of precarious employment with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among female workers: Findings from a nationwide longitudinal study in Korea

BACKGROUND

In this study, we examined the relationship of precarious employment (PE) with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among Korean women.

METHODS

We included a nationwide sample of 4162 women drawn from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Women and Families, comprising 7566 observations. PE was assessed using three dimensions: employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and lack of rights and protection. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the association between each element of PE and the depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation over a two-year follow-up period, represented as odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The overall prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were 11.8 % and 1.9 %, respectively. Compared with permanent employment, fixed-term employment (OR [95 % CI]:1.29 [1.00-1.67]) or daily employment (OR [95 % CI]:1.53 [1.26-1.99]) was associated with the depressive symptoms at the follow-up. Additionally, lack of social benefits (OR [95 % CI]:1.40 [1.09-1.79]) and high perceived vulnerability (OR [95 % CI]:1.27 [1.08-1.49]) were associated with the depressive symptoms at the follow-up. Additionally, daily employment was associated with the suicidal ideation at the follow-up (OR [95 % CI]:1.94 [1.02-3.68]) and high perceived vulnerability was marginally associated with an increased suicidal ideation risk (OR [95 % CI]:1.49 [0.98-2.29]).

LIMITATION

Causal effect of PE could not be asserted due to the observational nature of this study.

CONCLUSIONS

PE is a social determinant of women's mental health and policy interventions are required to improve their employment conditions.

Association between depressive symptoms and employment type of Korean workers: the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey

BACKGROUND

This study analyzed the association between depressive symptoms and employment type, by considering both socioeconomic status and job stress factors.

METHODS

We analyzed 27,369 participants (13,134 men and 14,235 women) using data from the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. The participants were divided into regular and precarious workers. Depressive symptoms were defined using the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and employment type.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 71.53% (N = 19578) were regular workers and 28.47% (N = 7791) were precarious workers. The weighted frequencies of participants with depressive symptoms (42.50%) were significantly higher than those of precarious workers (32.54%, p < 0.001). In the univariate and multivariate analyses, precarious workers had a significantly higher risk of depressive symptoms than regular workers (odds ratio [OR] 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42-1.64; OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07-1.26, respectively). The significant association between depressive symptoms and precarious workers has also been reflected in propensity score matched participants through crude and multivariate analysis (OR 1.54 [95% CI 1.43-1.66] and OR 1.15 [95% CI 1.04-1.26], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that precarious workers may have a higher risk of depressive symptoms than regular workers. However, this is only a cross-sectional study. Therefore, further study is required to investigate the relevance association between depressive symptoms and employment types.

Work-related stressors and mental health among LGBTQ workers: Results from a cross-sectional survey

PURPOSE

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals experience high rates of adverse mental health outcomes due to the stressors they experience in families, communities, and society more broadly. Work and workplaces have the potential to influence these outcomes given their ability to amplify minority stress, and their ability to influence social and economic wellbeing in this already marginalized population. This study aims to identify how sociodemographic characteristics and characteristics of work, including degree of precarity, industry and perceived workplace support for LGBTQ people, influence self-reported mental health among LGBTQ people in two Canadian cities.

METHODS

Self-identified LGBTQ workers ≥16 years of age (n = 531) in Sudbury and Windsor, Ontario, Canada were given an online survey between July 6 and December 2, 2018. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) to evaluate differences in gender identity, age, income, industry, social precarity, work environment, and substance use among workers who self-reported very poor, poor, or neutral mental health, compared with a referent group that self-reported good or very good mental health on a five-point Likert scale about general mental health.

RESULTS

LGBTQ workers with poor or neutral mental health had greater odds of: being cisgender women or trans compared with being cisgender men; being aged <35 years compared with ≥35 years; working in low-wage service sectors compared with blue collar jobs; earning <$20,000/year compared with ≥$20,000/year; working in a non-standard work situation or being unemployed compared with working in full-time permanent employment; feeling often or always unable to schedule time with friends due to work; feeling unsure or negative about their work environment; and using substances to cope with work.

CONCLUSIONS

Both precarious work and unsupportive work environments contribute to poor mental health among LGBTQ people. These factors are compounded for trans workers who face poorer mental health than cis-LGBQ workers in similar environments.

The measure of precarious employment and its impact on the mental health of workers: A systematic review 2007–2020

BACKGROUND: Precarious employment conditions can influence the worker’s mental health; however, there is no consensus regarding the definition of precarious employment or the way it is measured. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to identify existing research of the conceptual framework, the ways to measure precarious employment and its impact on the mental health of workers. METHODS: A systematic review with the strategic search for observational-empirical and qualitative studies published between 2007 and 2020 in Embase, Scopus and PubMed, full text, in English and Spanish. Studies were selected and excluded, according to eligibility criteria. Two independent reviewers and one arbitrator evaluated the quality of selected papers with the STROBE guidelines for observational studies and SRQR for qualitative ones. RESULTS: 408 studies were obtained, 21 met inclusion criteria, in 14 studies precarious employment was measured one-dimensionally. Of these, 11 with the dimension of temporality and three with insecurity. Four studies it was measured in a multidimensional way, with the Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES) and in three qualitative designs, with different categories of analysis. Mental health was measured with SF-36 (n = 4), GHQ-12 (n = 3) and CES-D (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: The concept of precarious employment requires a multidimensional construct, although the tendency to measure precarious employment is one-dimensional. Regardless of how is measured, this has a negative impact on the mental health of workers. The outcomes related to this social determinant included depression, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, stress, and suicidal thoughts. Youths, women, people with low levels of education and immigrants are the groups that show the major precariousness.

Association between work-family conflict and depressive symptoms in female workers: An exploration of potential moderators

Work-family conflict (WFC), an inter-role conflict between work and family, negatively affects mental health. Using a nationally representative systematic sample, this study aimed to investigate the association between WFC, depressive symptoms, and potential moderators in the association of adult female workers. Data of 4714 female workers (aged ≥19 years) were obtained cross-sectionally from the 2018 nationwide Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF). WFC was assessed using a 7-item questionnaire, based on which scores were classified into high (>75th percentile score) and low (≤75th percentile score) levels of WFC. Significant depressive symptoms were defined as a score of ≥10 on the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression Scale. Female workers with high WFC levels were more likely to have depressive symptoms than those with low WFC levels (odds ratio = 2.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.91-2.74). In stratified analyses, high WFC levels were associated with the highest odds of depressive symptoms in the following groups: young adults (19-39 years), those with a college degree or above or with high income, never-married individuals, those with a family size of three or a single child, nonstandard workers, and pink-collar workers. This study replicated and extended previous findings on the association between WFC and depressive symptoms. The association was moderated by age, education and income levels, marital status, family size, number of children, and job conditions.

Initiatives Addressing Precarious Employment and Its Effects on Workers' Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review

The prevalence of precarious employment has increased in recent decades and aspects such as employment insecurity and income inadequacy have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify, appraise, and synthesise existing evidence pertaining to implemented initiatives addressing precarious employment that have evaluated and reported health and well-being outcomes. We used the PRISMA framework to guide this review and identified 11 relevant initiatives through searches in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and three sources of grey literature. We found very few evaluated interventions addressing precarious employment and its impact on the health and well-being of workers globally. Ten out of 11 initiatives were not purposefully designed to address precarious employment in general, nor specific dimensions of it. Seven out of 11 initiatives evaluated outcomes related to the occupational health and safety of precariously employed workers and six out of 11 evaluated worker health and well-being outcomes. Most initiatives showed the potential to improve the health of workers, although the evaluation component was often described with less detail than the initiative itself. Given the heterogeneity of the 11 initiatives regarding study design, sample size, implementation, evaluation, economic and political contexts, and target population, we found insufficient evidence to compare outcomes across types of initiatives, generalize findings, or make specific recommendations for the adoption of initiatives.

Association between employment stability and depression as moderated by gender among South Korean employees

BACKGROUND

Research in Asian cultures regarding the association between employment status and health has been limited. The current study investigated the association between depression and employment status in Korea, moderated by gender.

METHODS

Data from the 2014, 2016, and 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were analysed. In total, 11,157 participants aged ≥ 19 years responded to the survey. The Korean version of the PHQ-9 was utilised in addition to questions assessing employment status.

RESULTS

Precarious employment indicated a greater prevalence of depression in comparison to permanent employment (14.9% vs 10.8%, p < 0.001; 22.6% vs 20.2%, p < 0.001). Precariously employed men were 1.40 times more likely to have depression (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR): 1.40; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.15-1.70; p= 0.001) while no such association existed among women (adjusted OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.89-1.27; p= 0.493). The subgroup analyses revealed that men working day shifts in a precarious employment were 1.48 times more likely to be depressed than those with permanent employment. In contrast, precarious employed women working night shifts were 2.13 times more likely to be depressed than those permanently employed counterparts.

LIMITATIONS

Current research did not investigate the causality of the variables hence was unable to identify whether employment instability from precarious engagements preceded the onset of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest gender can independently modify the relationship between employment stability and depression, as well as in association with additional variables - including work shift type and income.

Mental health symptoms among dependent contractors in Korea: a cross-sectional study based on the Fifth Korean Working Condition Survey

Background

Recently, there has been a call to improve the holistic welfare of dependent contractors (DCs). Thus, our study examined the relationship between DCs and mental health symptoms and how this relationship was modified by age, sex, and income status of workers.

Methods

A total of 27,980 workers from the Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey are included in our study. The participants who reported having depression or anxiety over the last 12 months are defined those who had mental health symptoms. We performed exact matching for age group and sex, followed by conditional logistic regression with survey weights. Finally, stratified analyses by age, sex and income level were conducted.

Results

DCs were found to be at increased risk of depression/anxiety compared to other workers. The odds ratio (OR) is 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06–2.17). In the stratified analyses, vulnerable groups were middle-aged (OR [95% CI]: 1.68 [1.10–2.54]), female (OR [95% CI]: 1.85 [1.20–2.84]), and low-income (OR [95% CI]: 3.18 [1.77–5.73]) workers.

Conclusions

Our study's results reinforce those of other studies that show that DCs are at greater risk of experiencing mental health issues than other workers and that and this risk is greater for middle-aged, female, and low-income workers. These results suggest that appropriate policy efforts should be made to improve the psychological well-being of DCs.

The effect of job insecurity, employment type and monthly income on depressive symptom: analysis of Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging data

Background

In modern society, depression is serious issue that causes socioeconomic and family burden. To decrease the incidence of depression, risk factors should be identified and managed. Among many risk factors for depression, this study examined socioeconomic risk factors for depression.

Methods

We utilized first (2006), second (2008), and third (2010)-wave data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). Depressive symptom was measured with the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Short Form (CES-D-10) in the survey in 2008 and 2010. Three risk factors including job security, employment type and monthly income were measured in the survey in 2006. The association between risk factors and depressive symptom was analyzed by Cox proportional-hazard model.

Results

We analyzed data from 1,105 workers and hazard ratios (HRs) for 3 risk factors were significant entirely. In addition, regular worker with high income group is the most vulnerable group of poor job insecurity on depression among male workers (HR: 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–2.81). Finally, HRs for 7 groups who had at least 1 risk factor had higher HRs compared to groups who had no risk factors after stratifying 3 risk factors. In the analysis, significantly vulnerable groups were total 5 groups and the group who had highest HR was temporary/daily workers with poor job security (HR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.36–4.64). The results concerning women, regardless of job type, were non-significant.

Conclusions

This study presented one or more risk factors among poor job security, low income, temporary/daily employment type increase hazard for depressive symptom in 2 or 4 years after the exposure. These results inform policy to screen for and protect against the risk of depression in vulnerable groups.

Inequalities in External-Cause Mortality in 2018 across Industries in Republic of Korea

Background

External-cause mortality is an important public health issue worldwide. Considering its significance to workers’ health and inequalities across industries, we aimed to describe the state of external-cause mortality and investigate its difference by industry in Republic of Korea based on data for 2018.

Methods

Data obtained from the Statistics Korea and Korean Employment Information System were used. External causes of death were divided into three categories (suicide, transport accident, and others), and death occurred during employment period or within 90 days after unemployment was regarded as workers’ death. We calculated age- and sex-standardized mortalities per 100,000, standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) compared to the general population and total workers, and mortality rate ratios (RRs) across industries using information and communication as a reference. Correlation analyses between income, education, and mortality were conducted.

Results

Age- and sex-standardized external-cause mortality per 100,000 in all workers was 29.4 (suicide: 16.2, transport accident: 6.6, others: 6.6). Compared to the general population, all external-cause and suicide SMRs were significantly lower; however, there was no significant difference in transport accidents. When compared to total workers, wholesale, transportation, and business facilities management showed higher SMR for suicide, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing, mining and quarrying, construction, transportation and storage, and public administration and defense showed higher SMR for transport accidents. A moderate to strong negative correlation was observed between education level and mortality (both age- and sex-standardized mortality rates and SMR compared to the general population).

Conclusion

Inequalities in external-cause mortalities from suicide, transport accidents, and other causes were found. For reducing the differences, improved policies are needed for industries with higher mortalities.

The Health Effects of Workforce Involvement and Transitions for Europeans 50–75 Years of Age: Heterogeneity by Financial Difficulties and Gender

A prominent demographic trend throughout the industrialized world is population aging. Concerns about economic growth and labour force shortages have led many European nations to enact policies aimed at prolonging working life. Understanding how paid work among late-middle-aged and senior adults is associated with health is therefore important. Using a sample of persons who were 50–75 years of age in 2015 from waves six (2015) and seven (2017) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (n = 38,884), this study shows how a comprehensive set of six workforce involvement/transitions patterns are associated with health. The results show benefits of paid work, especially among respondents having financial difficulties. There is further heterogeneity by gender. The more fragmented employment histories of 50–75-year-old women are associated with stable paid work being of less benefit for addressing financial difficulties and with their health being especially vulnerable to unemployment while they are undergoing financial troubles.

The Impact of Different Coping Styles on Psychological Distress during the COVID-19: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

The present study aimed to understand the impact of different coping methods endorsed by Chinese college students during COVID-19 through the examination of the mediating role of perceived stress. We recruited a total of 492 undergraduate students to complete an online survey from May to June 2020. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that perceived stress was a significant mediator in the association between different coping styles and psychological distress. Three coping styles, including problem-focused, adaptive emotion-focused, and maladaptive emotion-focused coping styles were all significantly correlated with psychological distress. Perceived stress significantly mediated the association between the three coping styles and psychological distress. The results indicated a full mediation model in which problem-focused coping and adaptive emotion-focused coping affected psychological distress entirely through the mediation of perceived stress. Maladaptive emotion-focused coping positively predicted perceived stress, which in turn positively predicted psychological distress through a partial mediation model. We discuss the implications of these findings and offer suggestions for future research.

Association Between Unpredictable Work Schedules and Depressive Symptoms in Korea

Backgrounds

Irregular and unpredictable work schedules have become more common in most societies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between unpredictable work schedules and depressive symptoms in Korea.

Methods

Data from 34,486 workers who participated in the Korean Working Condition Survey in 2017 were used. Unpredictable work schedules were measured by questions about the frequency of changes in work schedule and limited advanced notice. Depressive symptoms were assessed by a single item asking if the participants had depressive symptoms over the last 12 months. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for high depressive symptoms.

Results

The OR for depressive symptoms was significantly higher in the workers with unpredictable work schedules compared to those with predictable work schedules after controlling for age, sex, education, salary, marital status, occupation, contract period, full-time versus part-time, shift work, weekly working hours, and having a child under the age of 18 years (OR = 2.43, 95% confidence interval 1.93–3.07).

Conclusion

Unpredictable work schedules were associated with depressive symptoms controlling for the other dimensions of precarious employment in a representative working population in Korea.

Precarious Employment as Compared With Unemployment Reduces the Risk of Depression in the Elderly in Korea

OBJECTIVE

To compare how depression develops in precarious employment and in unemployment, as how precarious jobs impact unemployment-related depression is relatively unknown.

METHODS

Using the 1st to 4th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging survey data, 5638 older people were analyzed to measure depression incidence in relation to employment status. A Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale form was chosen to identify depression. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived from Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for a number of variables.

RESULTS

Unemployment-related depression risk was significantly higher than for precarious employment. Depression risk was significantly lower for male full-time permanent workers than precarious workers, but was not significantly different in women.

CONCLUSIONS

To prevent the deterioration of mental health in the elderly, an extensive job promotion campaign including precarious work is required.

The Association between Unstable Employment and Suicidal Behavior in Young-Adult Precarious Workers

OBJECTIVE

Precarious workers have increased over the past two decades in South Korea. Employment instability, especially among young adults, is considered a serious social problem. The unstable employment status of precarious workers has negative impacts on their mental health, such as suicidal behavior. This study aims to identify the effect of the unstable employment conditions on the suicidal behavior of precarious workers.

METHODS

An online survey was conducted with a panel sample of South Korean adults (n=797) who were precarious workers aged between 25-34 years. We applied Model 6 of SPSS PROCESS MACRO 3.5 to examine the multiple mediation effects of depression and anger in the relationship between employment instability and suicide.

RESULTS

Unstable employment had no direct effect on suicidal behavior. The path of unstable employment to suicidal behavior via depression and anger had a significant indirect effect. However, employment and anger were negatively related. The indirect effect of depression and anger on the relation between unstable employment and suicidal behavior was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests an association between unstable employment and suicidal behavior, mediated by depression and anger. Specifically, a high level of unstable employment status increased depression. In contrast, a low level of unstable employment status increased anger, which ultimately led to an increase in suicidal behavior. These contrasting findings are likely to reflect the heterogeneity of precarious workers. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to identify the causality between precarious employment and suicidal behavior over time.

Initiatives addressing precarious employment and its effects on workers' health and well-being: a protocol for a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Precarious employment is a significant determinant of population health and health inequities and has complex public health consequences both for a given nation and internationally. Precarious employment is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct including but not limited to employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and lack of rights and protection in the employment relation, which could affect both informal and formal workers. The purpose of this review is to identify, appraise, and synthesize existing research on the effectiveness of initiatives aiming to or having the potential to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate workers' exposure to precarious employment conditions and its effects on the health and well-being of workers and their families.

METHODS

The electronic databases searched (from January 2000 onwards) are Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and PubMed, along with three institutional databases as sources of grey literature. We will include any study (e.g. quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods design) evaluating the effects of initiatives that aim to or have the potential to address workers' exposure to precarious employment or its effects on the health and well-being of workers and their families, whether or not such initiatives were designed specifically to address precarious employment. The primary outcomes will be changes in (i) the prevalence of precarious employment and workers' exposure to precarious employment and (ii) the health and well-being of precariously employed workers and their families. No secondary outcomes will be included. Given the large body of evidence screened, the initial screening of each study will be done by one reviewer, after implementing several strategies to ensure decision-making consistency across reviewers. The screening of full-text articles, data extraction, and critical appraisal will be done independently by two reviewers. Potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion. Established checklists will be used to assess a study's methodological quality or bias. A narrative synthesis will be employed to describe and summarize the included studies' characteristics and findings and to explore relationships both within and between the included studies.

DISCUSSION

We expect that this review's findings will provide stakeholders interested in tackling precarious employment and its harmful health effects with evidence on effectiveness of solutions that have been implemented to inform considerations for adaptation of these to their unique contexts. In addition, the review will increase our understanding of existing research gaps and enable us to make recommendations to address them. Our work aligns with the sustainable development agenda to protect workers, promote decent work and economic growth, eliminate poverty, and reduce inequalities.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42020187544 .

Pandemics: Implications for research and practice in industrial and organizational psychology

Pandemics have historically shaped the world of work in various ways. With COVID-19 presenting as a global pandemic, there is much speculation about the implications of this crisis for the future of work and for people working in organizations. In this article, we discuss 10 of the most relevant research and practice topics in the field of industrial and organizational psychology that will likely be strongly influenced by COVID-19. For each of these topics, the pandemic crisis is creating new work-related challenges, but it is also presenting various opportunities. The topics discussed herein include occupational health and safety, work–family issues, telecommuting, virtual teamwork, job insecurity, precarious work, leadership, human resources policy, the aging workforce, and careers. This article sets the stage for further discussion of various ways in which I-O psychology research and practice can address the issues that COVID-19 creates for work and organizational processes that are affecting workers now and will shape the future of work and organizations in both the short and long term. This article concludes by inviting I-O psychology researchers and practitioners to address the challenges and opportunities of COVID-19 head-on by proactively adapting the work that we do in support of workers, organizations, and society as a whole.

Effects of precarious work on symptomatology of anxiety and depression in Chilean workers, a cross sectional study

Background

Precarious work is a broad definition for non-standard employment, often including unstable and insecure positions where workers permanently experience uncertainty; these types of jobs are growing steadily around the planet. Since the coup d’état in 1973, Chile has experienced a series of structural economic changes framed by neoliberal ideas cemented in the “Constitution of Pinochet.” Precarious work in Chile is a direct consequence of these ideas. This multidimensional phenomenon has progressively been entering employment areas where it was not previously present. As a result, there has been a rise in work precarization and its full impact on health is not well known. The goal of this study was to estimate the association of work precariousness with mental health outcomes in Chilean workers.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Chilean Survey of Work and Health 2009–2010 (ENETS). Only valid records of salaried workers (excluding hourly-only or commission-only workers) in the private sector without missing values were included (n = 1900). After applying appropriate sampling weights, 1,461,727 workers were represented. Mental health was estimated as anxiety/depression levels using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). A multilevel multivariate generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with negative binomial and log link distribution was used to study the association between precariousness and depression/anxiety.

Results

Looking at the overall precariousness scale (range from zero to four), we observed an increase of approximately 34% in the depression/anxiety score (scale range from 0 to 36) for every unit on the precarious work overall scale (Relative Risk = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.28, 1.42) controlling for age, sex, and occupational group.

Conclusion

Precarious work was associated with anxiety and depression as measured with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Controlling for demographic variables changed neither the direction nor the magnitude of the association.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10952-0.

Long working hours and depressive symptoms: moderation by gender, income, and job status

BACKGROUND

Long working hours can be a risk factor for poor mental health; however, little is known about the potential factors moderating their relation. This study investigates the association between working hours and depressive symptoms, and explores the potential moderating effect of gender, income level, and job status on this association using a nationally representative sample of working population in South Korea.

METHODS

Data of 7,082 workers aged 19 years or above were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) conducted in 2014, 2016, and 2018 in South Korea. Working hours were categorized into 35-39, 40, 41-52, 53-68, and ≥69 hours/week. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

RESULTS

Individuals working ≥69 hours/week were more likely to have moderate to severe depressive symptoms compared to those working 40 hours/week. The association between longer working hours and depressive symptoms was especially prominent in female workers, standard wage workers, and workers with low income levels. We observed significant partial mediation pathways between working hours and PHQ-9 scores through both perceived usual stress level and self-rated health in the total sample.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design of the study limits causal interpretation of the findings.

CONCLUSION

Working longer than the legal upper limit of 52 hours/week puts workers at a greater risk for depression. Females, low-income workers, and wage workers are more vulnerable to the negative consequences of long working hours on mental health.

The Effect of Changes in Employment on Health of Work-Related Injured Workers: A Longitudinal Perspectives

This longitudinal study attempted to identify changes in employment status and overall health status. The participants were workers who had experienced work-related injuries in the past. In this study, we used the Panel Study of Workers’ Compensation Insurance from 2013 to 2017. This study utilized propensity score matching for a quasi-experimental design study of the first year to exclude the effects of the confounding variables and exclude the effect of employment status, which is the main independent variable. After applying propensity score matching the research subjects totaled 1070. Changes in employment status were found to have a negative effect on overall health status. This raises new implications for existing industrial accident-related support policies. Thus, it is considered that the scope should be expanded from policies related to re-employment of workers after an industrial accident to improving quality of life through maintaining employment from a long-term perspective. The notable point of this study was to apply the PSM methods. By applying PSM, we clearly identified the effect of changes in employment status on health status.

Psychological Stress, Smoking, and Hazardous Drinking Behaviors among South Korean Adults: Findings from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Introduction

There is growing attention to mental health as a contributor to behavioral health in South Korea. We investigated the prevalence of psychological stress and its associations with cigarette smoking and drinking behaviors among a nationally representative sample of South Korean adults.

Methods

Using data from 14,855 adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the 2013 to 2016 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), we performed weighted logistic regression to examine the associations between stress and three binary outcome variables: cigarette smoking, heavy episodic drinking and frequent drinking.

Results

27.2% of participants reported high stress. Controlling for sociodemographic covariates, high stress was associated with 1.54 times the odds (p<0.001) of being a smoker, 1.25 times the odds (p<0.001) of being a heavy episodic drinker, and 1.23 times the odds (p<0.001) of being a frequent drinker. There was evidence of effect modification by gender and occupation, such that the effects of stress on these behaviors were particularly stronger among women and pink-collar (service industry) workers (compared to men and white-collar workers).

Conclusions

Future policies that aim to address smoking and drinking behaviors in South Korea should consider stress reduction and coping strategies, especially among women and pink-collar workers.

Psychological distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and suppression measures during the first wave in Belgium

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent suppression measures have had health and social implications for billions of individuals. The aim of this paper is to investigate the risk of psychological distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and suppression measures during the early days of the lockdown. We compared the level of psychological distress at the beginning of that period with a pre-pandemic health survey and assessed the psychological effects of exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in social activity and support.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed to the general population in Belgium 3 days after the beginning of the lockdown. 20,792 respondents participated. The psychological distress of the population was measured using the GHQ-12 scale. Social activities and support were assessed using the Social Participation Measure, the Short Loneliness Scale, and the Oslo Social Support Scale. An index of subjective exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic was constructed, as well as a measure of change in occupational status. Measurements were compared to a representative sample of individuals extracted from the Belgian Health Interview Survey of 2018. Bootstrapping was performed and analyses were reweighted to match the Belgian population in order to control for survey selection bias.

RESULTS

Half of the respondents reported psychological distress in the early days of the lockdown. A longer period of confinement was associated with higher risk of distress. Women and younger age groups were more at risk than men and older age groups, as were respondents who had been exposed to COVID-19. Changes in occupational status and a decrease in social activity and support also increased the risk of psychological distress. Comparing the results with those of the 2018 Belgian Health Interview shows that the early period of the lockdown corresponded to a 2.3-fold increase in psychological distress (95% CI: 2.16-2.45).

CONCLUSIONS

Psychological distress is associated with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and suppression measures. The association is measurable from the very earliest days of confinement and it affected specific at-risk groups. Authorities should consider ways of limiting the effect of confinement on the mental and social health of the population and developing strategies to mitigate the adverse consequences of suppression measures.

Gender and stress-buffering of social capital toward depression among precarious workers in South Korea

BACKGROUND

Precarious work is featured with disadvantaged job conditions such as to employment contract, job description, and occupational environment, and has been recognized as an emerging social risk for mental health. Social capital deserves further attention, believed to buffer stress produced by precarious employment. Yet, recent evidence suggests that the mental health benefits of social capital vary by gender, as gender norms that oblige women to assume a caregiving burden may nullify the benefits of a richer social capital.

OBJECTIVE

Our study focused on two types of social capital, bonding and bridging, testing their stress-buffering effects, as focusing on the posited gender-moderated effects of social capital.

METHODS

We analyzed 333 precarious workers in South Korea. Chi-square tests and t-tests are used to compare socio-demographic factors, depressive symptoms, and daily stressors by gender. Multiple regression analyses were used to test significance of an interaction term between daily stress and sub-domains of social capital by gender.

RESULTS

Male workers with higher bonding and higher bridging social capital reported lower depressive symptoms. Yet, female workers gained no direct benefit from higher bonding social capital and those with higher bridging social capital reported even higher depressive symptoms when their daily stress was lower.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the notion that social capital is not universally beneficial and female precarious workers lacking resources seem to suffer despite increased social participation.

Suicidal ideation among nurses: Unique and cumulative effects of different subtypes of sleep problems

BACKGROUND

Nurses have high rates of sleep problems, and higher risk of suicide than the general population. However, there is no empirical evidence showing the extent to which sleep problems among nurses are related to suicidal ideation.

METHODS

Multistage stratified cluster sampling was performed to recruit nurses from tertiary hospitals in Shandong, China. Item 9 of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess suicidal ideation. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess different subtypes of sleep problems.

RESULTS

Overall prevalence of suicidal ideation among the sample was 10.8%. Nurses with sleep problems were at high risk for suicidal ideation (^bOR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.20-2.65). Among different sleep problem subtypes, only "cannot breathe comfortably" was independently related to suicidal ideation. Different subtypes of sleep problems had cumulative effects on suicidal ideation: the more subtypes of sleep problems nurses experienced, the higher the likelihood of suicidal ideation.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional study design prevents inferring causation, and the use of self-report measures may lead to recall bias. Other physical/mental conditions, besides depression, were not assessed. Statistical power may have been insufficient due to the small sub-sample who reported suicidal ideation. Also, the generalizability of the results is limited, as the sample only comprised nurses in tertiary hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses experiencing sleep problems were associated with increased likelihood of suicidal ideation. It may be beneficial to incorporate sleep problems into routine screening and intervention for suicide prevention in clinical practice.

The Interplay among Age and Employment Status on the Perceptions of Psychosocial Risk Factors at Work

While the role of individual differences in shaping primary appraisals of psychosocial working conditions has been well investigated, less is known about how objective characteristics of the employee profile (e.g., age) are associated with different perceptions of psychosocial risk factors. Moreover, previous research on the link between employment status (i.e., work contract) and such perceptions has provided mixed results, leading to contradictory conclusions. The present study was conducted on a nationally representative sample of theItalian employed workforce surveyed with computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) methodology. The principal aim of the study is to bridge this gap in the extant literature by investigating the interplay between two key characteristics of the employee profile (i.e., age and work contract) in shaping employees’ perceptions of psychosocial risk factors. Given the disparate literature scenario on the interplay between age and employment status in shaping primary appraisals of psychosocial stressors, we formulated and compared multiple competitive informative hypotheses. Consistent with the principles of the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we found that older contingent employees reported a higher level of psychosocial risk than their permanent peers who, in turn, were more vulnerable than middle-aged and younger workers (regardless of their employment status). These results highlight the importance of simultaneously assessing multipleobjective variables of the employee profile (i.e., age and employment status) which may act to shape subjective perceptions of psychosocial risk factors for work-related stress. Given our findings, employers and policy makers should consider older contingent employees as one of the workforce sub-populationsmost vulnerable to negative work environments.

Mental wellbeing among Hispanic female domestic cleaners

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the mental wellbeing of self-employed, Hispanic female domestic cleaners in San Antonio, Texas.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study and administered a short questionnaire to 56 participants. Mental wellbeing was assessed using The World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). We calculated the age-adjusted prevalence of poor mental wellbeing, both overall and stratified by socioeconomic, neighborhood, and health characteristics.

RESULTS

Almost half of the participants screened positive for poor mental wellbeing (47.3%) with a mean WHO-5 score of 68.9 [standard error (SE) = 3.1]. We observed a high prevalence of poor mental wellbeing among participants with less than a high school education (56.0%), who worked less than 30 h per week (57.0%) and who sometimes or always felt unsafe at her cleaning job (69.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

Female domestic cleaners, particularly those who work in the informal sector, are an overburdened and understudied population. This is particularly true regarding their mental wellbeing, which has largely been considered as an afterthought in epidemiologic studies of cleaning workers in general. Our results suggest that this group of domestic cleaners faces several psychosocial stressors, both in and outside of the workplace, and may have a high risk of poor mental health outcomes.

[Occupational factors associated with suicide among French employees from the special agricultural social security scheme (MSA) working between 2007 and 2013]

BACKGROUND

Work and related exposures may play a role in suicide and there has been evidence in the literature that some occupational factors may be associated with suicide. The identification of occupational risk factors of suicide mortality among employees affiliated to the French special agricultural social security scheme (MSA), an understudied population, appears important. The objective of this study was to identify the occupational factors associated with suicide mortality among French employees from the MSA working between 2007 and 2013.

METHODS

The study population included all the employees affiliated to the MSA working between 1st January 2007 and 31st December 2013, i.e. 1,699,929 men and 1,201,017 women. The studied occupational factors included: economic activity, skill level, and work contract. Survival analyses (Cox models) stratified on gender were performed using age as time scale and region and year of contract as adjustment variables.

RESULTS

Among men, the factors associated with an elevated suicide risk were: economic activities of forestry, agriculture and related activities, and manufacture of food products and beverages (e.g. meat, wine), low-skilled level and working in the regions of Brittany, Burgundy Franche-Comté, Pays de la Loire, Normandy, Grand Est and Centre-Val-de-Loire. No association was observed among women.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that economic activity and low-skilled level may be associated with suicide among men affiliated to the MSA and may contribute to the implementation of prevention interventions. Further studies are needed to confirm and better understand these associations.

Occupational Differences in C-Reactive Protein Among Working-Age Adults in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between occupational class and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in Korean workers.

METHODS

We used a nationally representative sample of Koreans (n = 2591) aged 19 to 65 years from the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The concentration of hsCRP (mg/L) was assessed by a high sensitivity immunoturbidimetric assay. Current occupation was categorized as: white-collar (managers/professionals), pink-collar (clerks/service/sales), blue-collar (craft/equipment/machine-assembling, agricultural/forestry/fishery, and elementary-level labor), or unemployed. Cross-sectional linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic/work-related/health conditions and behaviors.

RESULTS

Compared with blue-collar workers, white-collar workers showed significantly higher levels of hsCRP (β = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.30) after adjusting for all covariates, whereby the pattern was more pronounced among professionals. However, the association was not significant for unemployed and pink-collar workers.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that Korean white-collar workers, particularly professionals, have elevated levels of inflammation.

Comparable Risk of Suicidal Ideation between Workers at Precarious Employment and Unemployment: Data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study, 2012-2017

Precarious employment and unemployment are important factors that impact suicidal behavior. This study investigated (1) how employment transitions among permanent employment, precarious employment, and unemployment are associated with suicidal ideation in working employees and compared (2) whether individuals transitioning among these three states were more vulnerable than those remaining. Using nationally representative longitudinal data between 2012-2017, a total of 25,862 adults aged 25 to 59 years old without a record of suicidal ideation were included at baseline. Transitions in employment status (permanent work, precarious work, or unemployment) and suicidal ideation were analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression models. Compared to the "permanent to permanent" group, individuals in the "permanent to precarious" (odds ratio (OR) 1.74, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.29-2.35], "permanent to unemployment" (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.32-2.96), "precarious to precarious" (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.21-2.85), and the "precarious to unemployment" (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.05-1.95) groups had higher odds of suicidal ideation. The magnitude of such odds was generally higher than that of individuals at annual unemployment or precarious states. The results show that adults moving in and out of different employment states have higher odds of suicidal ideation than individuals at annually static precarious or unemployment status.

Relationships between hand-grip strength, socioeconomic status, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms have been found to be associated with decreased hand-grip strength (HGS) and low socioeconomic status (SES) in older adults. We aimed to investigate the potential moderating effect of SES on the association between HGS and depressive symptoms and the potential mediating effect of HGS on the association between SES and depressive symptoms using a nationally representative sample of older adults.

METHOD

Data from 3169 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older were acquired from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2014 and 2016. HGS was measured using a digital hand-grip dynamometer. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the 9-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). SES was assessed using equivalent monthly household income and education level.

RESULTS

Older adults in the lowest tertile of HGS measures were more likely to have experienced depressive symptoms compared to those in the highest tertile (odds ratio = 1.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.25-2.74). A significant moderating effect of household income level was observed on the association between HGS and PHQ-9 score (P = 0.014). Older adults with a low income had a stronger inverse correlation between HGS and PHQ-9 score compared to those with a high income (low income: beta =  -0.162, P < 0.001; high income: beta = -0.119, P = 0.036). HGS partially mediated the association between low income and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that there may be a stronger relationship between low HGS and depressive symptoms in socioeconomically deprived older people. Further research on muscle strength and income level in older adults is required regarding depression risk assessment.

How did the 2008-11 financial crisis affect work-related common mental distress? Evidence from 393 workplaces in Great Britain

This paper analyses how the 2008-11 financial crisis relates to work-related common mental distress of those with continuous employment during the crisis. The literature connecting the 2008-11 financial crisis to common mental distress (anti-depressant drug use, suicide, etc.) generally estimates a negative effect. We used a sample of 393 workplaces from the 2011 Work and Employment Relations Study (WERS) for which employers and worker representatives agreed on that the crisis affected the workplace. WERS then provides detailed questions about how the financial crisis affected the workplace. We use these questions to show which crisis-induced work-changes are important for work-related common mental distress. In the British-context, increased workload and changes in nonfinancial benefits of work are most relevant worsening work-related common mental distress by 1.8 and 0.9 on a scale from 0-30 respectively.

Emotional labor and depressive mood in service and sales workers: Interactions with gender and job autonomy

Emotional labor is strongly correlated with negative consequences in psychological well-being and mental health status in workers. We investigated the associations of emotional labor with depressive mood and perceived usual stress level according to gender and its interactions with job autonomy in service and sales workers. The data from 2,055 service and sales workers from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) conducted from 2007 to 2009 were analyzed. High emotional labor was associated with increased risk for depressive mood in female workers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.19, 95%, confidence interval [CI] = 1.56-3.07). Emotional labor and job autonomy showed interactive effects on depressive mood in that high emotional labor was associated with depressive mood only in the presence of low job autonomy in male workers (aOR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.13-7.17). A significant mediation pathway between high emotional demand and prevalence of depressive mood through higher stress level was observed in female workers. In conclusion, female workers had high vulnerability to depressive symptoms due to emotional labor, and high job autonomy can act as a buffer against the detrimental effect of emotional labor in male workers.

Work intensity in men and work-related emotional demands in women are associated with increased suicidality among persons attending primary care

BACKGROUND

A large proportion of persons died by suicide are employed at the time of death and work-related factors partly contribute to suicide risk. Our aim was to examine the association between multiple aspects of work organization and suicidal ideation in a study conducted in primary care.

METHODS

Data came from a study of 2027 working patients attending a GP representative of patients in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region in France (April-August 2014). Suicidality was assessed using the MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Six emergent worked-related factors were explored (work intensity, emotional demands, autonomy, social relationships at work, conflict of values, insecurity of work). Several covariates were considered: patient's and GP's characteristics, and area-level data (material and social deprivation, psychiatrist and GPs' density, suicide attempts and suicide rates).

RESULTS

8.0% of participants reported suicidal ideation in the preceding month (7.5% of men and 8.6% of women, p = .03). In multivariate analyses adjusted for covariates, suicidality was significantly associated with work intensity (OR = 1.65; 95%CI [1.18-2.31]) in men and with work-related emotional demands (OR = 1.35; 95%CI [1.01-1.80]) in women. Area-level data were not associated.

LIMITATIONS

Our cross-sectional study cannot assess the direction of the relationships under study.

CONCLUSION

Our results emphasise a central role for GPs in suicide prevention among workers and highlight the importance of work-related factors with regard to suicidality in primary care.

Social capital, socioeconomic status, and depression in community-living elderly

A growing body of evidence has suggested that social capital is an upstream social determinant of mental health. We investigated the association of cognitive social capital, including interpersonal trust and reciprocity, with depressive symptoms in the elderly. We also explored the mediating role of cognitive social capital in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of SES on the relationship between social capital and depressive symptoms. Data from the 2012 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) was analyzed for 5969 participants aged 60 years or older. Cognitive components of social capital, including interpersonal trust and reciprocity, were evaluated using single-item questionnaires. Socioeconomic and health-related characteristics were investigated and depressive symptoms were evaluated by an 11-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Low interpersonal trust and reciprocity levels were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly. Reciprocity level mediated the association between household income level and depressive symptoms. We did not observe any significant moderating effect of SES on the association between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms. A significant association between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms in Korean elderly was found. We elucidated how SES interacted with depressive symptoms through the mediation pathway of cognitive social capital using a representative sample of the Korean elderly population.

Tinnitus, depression, and suicidal ideation in adults: A nationally representative general population sample

Tinnitus is strongly associated with psychiatric symptoms, including depression and suicidality. We aimed to further investigate the association of tinnitus with depressive mood and/or suicidal ideation, and explore the shared risk factors for these within a representative sample of the adult general population. We also investigated potential mediation pathways among tinnitus, suicidal ideation, depression, shared risk factors, and perceived stress levels. We analysed data from 28,930 adults (aged ≥19 years) from the fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) conducted from 2008 to 2012 in South Korea. We investigated the presence and severity of tinnitus, depressive mood, suicidal ideation, perceived usual stress level, and socioeconomic and health-related variables. We conducted logistic regression and mediation analyses. Tinnitus and its severity were significantly associated with depressive mood and suicidal ideation. Tinnitus, depressive mood, and suicidal ideation shared common socioeconomic and health-related risk factors. Tinnitus significantly mediated the association of shared risk factors for depressive mood and suicidal ideation. Perceived usual stress level mediates the association of tinnitus with depressive mood and suicidal ideation. The correlation of perceived usual stress levels with depression and suicidal ideation was also mediated by tinnitus. Our findings implicate that tinnitus may contribute substantially to the development of depressive symptom and suicidal ideation in adults via apparent interactions with shared risk factors and stress levels.

Understanding the Links Between Self-Report Emotional Intelligence and Suicide Risk: Does Psychological Distress Mediate This Relationship Across Time and Samples?

Objective: In the last decades, increasing attention has been paid to examining psychological resources that might contribute to our understanding of suicide risk. Although Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one dimension that has been linked with decreased suicidal ideation and behaviors, we detected several gaps in the literature in this area regarding the research designs and samples involved. In this research, we aimed to test a mediator model considering self-report EI, psychological distress and suicide risk across samples adopting both cross-sectional and prospective designs in two independent studies. Method: In Study 1, our purpose was to examine the potential role of psychological distress as a mediator in the relationship between self-report EI and suicide risk in a community sample comprised of 438 adults (270 women; mean age: 33.21 years). In Study 2, we sought to examine the proposed mediator model considering a 2-month prospective design in a sample of college students (n = 330 in T1; n = 311 in T2; 264 women; mean age: 22.22 years). Results: In Study 1, we found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of self-report EI on suicide risk. More interestingly, findings from Study 2 showed that psychological distress fully mediated the relationship between self-report EI and suicide risk at Time 2. Conclusion: These results point out the role of psychological distress as a mediator in the association between self-report EI and suicide risk. These findings suggest an underlying process by which self-report EI may act as a protective factor against suicidal ideation and behaviors. In line with the limitations of our work, plausible avenues for future research and interventions are discussed.