O7B.4 Are psychosocial working conditions associated with suicide and intentional self-harm? a register-based study of 420,895 norwegians

ObjectivesPoor psychosocial working conditions are associated with increased risk of mental health disorders. Some studies suggest that work factors may also increase the risk of suicidal behaviour. However, these studies mostly measured suicidal ideation, rarely completed suicides, and hardly ever used longitudinal data. We aimed to examine the relationship between selected psychosocial work factors and death by suicide, as well as hospital treatment for intentional self-harm and similar diagnoses.MethodsData on all persons born in Norway 1967–1976, employed in 2007 (n=420,895), were retrieved from national registers. Binary psychosocial work exposures were obtained from a job-exposure matrix for job demands, job control and leader support. Based on these, we constructed job strain (high demands, low control), and isostrain (high demands, low control, low support) exposure variables. These were linked to occupation in 2007 (ISCO88 four-digit codes). We estimated associations (Risk Ratios, RRs) between the psychosocial work factors and four-year risk of intentional self-harm and suicide in binomial regression models, adjusted for year of birth, education level, marital history and current family pattern.ResultsDuring 2008–2011, 884 had diagnoses of intentional self-harm (annual rate 53 per 100,000; women 56, men 49), while 164 suicided (annual rate 9.7; women 4.5, men 14.5). Intentional self-harm was associated with all work factors, except job demands and leader support among men. Associations were strongest for high isostrain, adjusted RR 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.2–1.7) and high job strain RR 1.3 (1.2–1.5), similar in women and men. Associations with suicide were positive only among men, with strongest associations for high job strain, RR 1.5 (1.0–2.1).ConclusionsPsychosocial work factors were associated with intentional self-harm in both sexes, but only in men for suicide. High isostrain and high job strain showed the strongest associations. Reasons other than a causal relationship cannot be excluded, particularly health selection.

Download Full-text

Importance of the Working Environment for Early Retirement: Prospective Cohort Study with Register Follow-Up

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18189817 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (18) ◽

pp. 9817

Author(s):

Emil Sundstrup ◽

Sannie V. Thorsen ◽

Reiner Rugulies ◽

Mona Larsen ◽

Kristina Thomassen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Conditions ◽

Older Workers ◽

Early Retirement ◽

Physical Work ◽

Work Demands ◽

Psychosocial Work Factors ◽

Psychosocial Work ◽

Physical Work Demands ◽

Psychosocial Working Conditions ◽

Work Factors

Background: This study investigates the role of physical work demands and psychosocial work factors for early retirement among older workers. Methods: Data from three Danish surveys on work environment and health among employed older workers (age 55–59) were merged with a national register containing information on labour market participation. Robust Poisson regression modelled the risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between physical and psychosocial work factors and early retirement, that is, not working after the age of 64. Results: Of the 2800 workers, 53% retired early. High physical work demands (RR 1.33, 95%CI 1.19–1.48), poor overall psychosocial working conditions (RR 1.43, 95%CI 1.26–1.61), and access to early retirement benefits (RR 1.79, 95%CI 1.53–2.10) predicted early retirement. Subgroup analyses revealed that poor overall psychosocial working conditions were a stronger predictor for early retirement among workers with seated jobs than those with physically active jobs. Conclusions: High physical work demands and poor psychosocial working conditions are factors that can push older workers out of the labour market prematurely. Poor psychosocial working conditions seem to be a particularly strong push factor among workers with seated work.

Download Full-text

Associations between labour market policies and work stressors

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.1002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

T Lunau ◽

M Rigó

Keyword(s):

Labour Market ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Job Strain ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Psychosocial Work ◽

Work Stressors ◽

Labour Market Policies ◽

Psychosocial Working Conditions ◽

European Working

Abstract Background Many studies have shown that psychosocial work stressors have a negative impact on health. It is therefore important to understand how psychosocial work stressors can be reduced. First cross-sectional studies have shown that working conditions are influenced at the political level. With this study, we want to extend the existing studies by specifically looking at the longitudinal dimension and test if changing labour market policies are related to changes in psychosocial work stressors. Methods We used comparative longitudinal survey data from the European Working Conditions Survey (27 countries; years 2005, 2010, 2015). The measure of psychosocial work stressors is based on two established work stress models: job strain and effort-reward imbalance. To measure labour market policies we used information on active (ALMP) and passive labour market policies (PLMP). 64659 participants were eligible for the ERI analysis and 67114 participants for the analyses on job strain. Estimation results are provided by three-level multilevel regressions. Results An increase in ALMP investments lead to a decrease of ERI and therefore to an improvement in psychosocial working conditions. The analyses for the subcomponents showed that these results are mainly driven by reward: an increase in ALMP investments lead to an increase in rewards. We didn't find significant associations between ALMP and job strain and between a change in PLMP measures and the observed work stressors. Discussion The study extends current knowledge with longitudinal information by showing that an increase in ALMP lead to an increase in rewards and a decrease of ERI. These longitudinal analyses are more closely related to a causal interpretation than previous cross-country analyses. The findings of this study may have important policy implications. Our main result suggests that investments into ALMP can improve certain working conditions and therefore improve workers' health. Key messages Psychosocial work stressors have a negative impact on health. Investments into active labour market policies can improve psychosocial working conditions.

Download Full-text

Occupational gender composition and mild to severe depression in a Swedish cohort: The impact of psychosocial work factors

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494817745736 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 425-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Anna Nyberg ◽

Linda L. Magnusson Hanson ◽

Constanze Leineweber ◽

Anne Hammarström ◽

Töres Theorell

Keyword(s):

Job Strain ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Gender Composition ◽

Psychosocial Work Factors ◽

Psychosocial Work ◽

Odds Ratios ◽

Educational Backgrounds ◽

Work Factors ◽

Occupational Gender ◽

The Impact

Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between occupational gender composition, psychosocial work factors and mild to severe depression in Swedish women and men with various educational backgrounds. Methods: The study included 5560 participants from two waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, an approximately representative sample of the Swedish working population. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals of mild to severe depression in 2014 were estimated for five strata of occupational gender composition with >20–40%, >40–60%, >60–80% and >80–100% women, using 0–20% women as the reference. Analyses were stratified by gender and education. Job strain, organisational injustice, poor social support and effort–reward imbalance in 2012 were added in separate models, and changes in OR of mild to severe depression for strata of occupational gender composition were evaluated. Results: Among women, the odds of mild to severe depression did not vary by occupational gender composition. Among men with low to intermediate education, the odds were higher in the stratum with >80–100% women, and among men with high education, the odds were higher in strata with >20–40% and >60–80% women. Psychosocial work factors affected the odds ratios of mild to severe depression, but most of the variation remained unexplained. Conclusions: Odds of mild to severe depression appeared to vary by occupational gender composition among Swedish men but not women. This variation seemed only to a small extent to be explained by psychosocial work factors.

Download Full-text

Association between psychosocial work conditions and latent alcohol consumption trajectories among men and women over a 16-year period in a national Canadian sample

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2017-209691 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

pp. 113-120 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kathleen G Dobson ◽

Selahadin Ibrahim ◽

Mahée Gilbert-Ouimet ◽

Cameron A Mustard ◽

Peter M Smith

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Physical Exertion ◽

Psychosocial Work Factors ◽

Psychosocial Work ◽

Men And Women ◽

Moderate Drinking ◽

Work Factors ◽

Trajectory Modelling ◽

Psychological Demands

BackgroundIt is unclear how psychosocial working conditions influence future alcohol consumption. Using group-based trajectory modelling, this study aimed to determine: the number of latent alcohol consumption trajectories over 16 years in a representative sample of the Canadian workforce; the association between psychosocial working conditions and longitudinal alcohol consumption; and if the association between psychosocial work factors and longitudinal alcohol consumption differed among men and women.MethodsWe included 5458 employed adults from the longitudinal Canadian National Population Health Survey. Average daily alcohol consumption was measured every 2 years from 1994 to 2010. Psychosocial work factors were measured in 1994 using the Job Content Questionnaire. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to derive the appropriate number of alcohol behaviour trajectories. The association between psychosocial work factors and alcohol trajectory membership was estimated using multinomial logistic regression. Models were stratified by sex to determine if these associations differed among men and women.ResultsThree alcohol consumption trajectories were present: non-drinkers, light drinkers (0.5–1 drinks/day) and moderate drinkers (2–3 drinks/day). Higher workplace physical exertion and lower social support levels were associated with membership in the moderate drinking trajectory. Among men, lower psychological demands and higher physical exertion levels were associated with membership in the moderate drinking trajectory. Among women, lower levels of physical exertion were associated with membership in the light drinking trajectory, and higher psychological demand levels were associated with membership in the moderate drinking trajectory.ConclusionsOur study suggests that workplace physical exertion and psychological demands may be associated with different alcohol consumption trajectories among men and women.

Download Full-text

Assessment of cognitive status of employees as indicator of early health disorders

Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology ◽

10.31089/1026-9428-2019-59-9-656-657 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 656-656

Author(s):

E. P. Kontorovich ◽

Yu. Yu. Gorblyansky ◽

O. P. Ponamareva

Keyword(s):

Working Conditions ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Blue Collar ◽

Psychosocial Work Factors ◽

Psychosocial Work ◽

Blue Collar Workers ◽

Work Factors ◽

Early Health ◽

Health Disorders

This study shows the relationships between the cognitive status of workers and their working conditions, including psychosocial work factors. For the early diagnosis of health disorders, one of the additional indicators is proposed - the determination of the cognitive status of blue-collar workers.

Download Full-text