scholarly journals Who maintains good health functioning? The contribution of social, work-related and behavioural factors to mental and physical health functioning trajectories in ageing employees

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 478-487
Author(s):  
Tea Lallukka ◽  
Aapo Hiilamo ◽  
Olli Pietiläinen ◽  
Minna Mänty ◽  
Anne Kouvonen ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThe determinants of poor functioning and subsequent early exit from work are well established but very little is known about the positive determinants of maintaining good functioning among the ageing workforce. We investigated modifiable determinants of maintaining good mental and physical health functioning.MethodsWe used prospective survey data collected across four waves among the midlife employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, 2000–2017 (n=3342). Health functioning was repeatedly measured using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) inventory. Trajectories of mental and physical health functioning were separately examined using group-based trajectory analysis. Multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to examine determinants of each trajectory.ResultsFour trajectory solutions for the developmental patterns in health functioning during the follow-up period were selected, with a slightly different shape of the first trajectory for mental and physical functioning: (1) continuously low (mental), low and decreasing (physical), (2) increasing, (3) decreasing and (4) continuously high functioning. After adjustments, the employees in the continuously high mental health functioning group were more likely to have optimal job demands, high job control, no sleep problems and no binge drinking behaviour. Employees in the continuously high physical functioning group had more likely low levels of physically strenuous work and hazardous working environment and no sleep problems and normal weight.ConclusionHigh job control, good sleep and avoiding binge drinking may help maintain good mental health functioning. Low levels of physical or environmental work exposures, good sleep and recommended healthy weight may support maintenance of good physical health functioning among ageing employees.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19173-e19173
Author(s):  
Michelle Joy Naughton ◽  
Ritu Salani ◽  
Maryam B. Lustberg ◽  
Juan Peng ◽  
Jennifer Moon ◽  
...  

e19173 Background: Unreported symptoms during cancer treatment can lead to poorer patient care and quality of life. eHealth technologies enable effective means to track patients’ health in real time to provide assistance in meeting patients’ needs and facilitating symptom management. Methods: Gynecologic (endometrial and ovarian) and breast oncology patients were enrolled in a quality improvement program post-surgically to respond to 12-monthly, text-based symptom surveys assessing fatigue, sleep quality, pain, and depression (PHQ-9). At baseline, 6 and 12 months, patients also completed the PROMIS-10 to assess their physical and mental health functioning. All patient responses were captured in REDCap and monitored by program staff, with patients’ oncologists receiving monthly feedback for patient follow-up. Patient navigators were also engaged for patients needing assistance with non-medical concerns. We provide the interim results of this program on PROMIS-10 scores from baseline to 6 months. Results: 198 breast and 120 gynecologic oncology patients (ovarian [n = 70] and endometrial [n = 50]) were enrolled. Multiple regression examined the impact of demographic (age, race, education), clinical (stage, chemotherapy, radiation), and monitoring program variables (# of monthly surveys completed, navigation services [yes/no]) on PROMIS-10 physical and mental health subscale scores at 6 months, adjusting for baseline PROMIS scores. For the breast patients, the only significant predictor of worse PROMIS physical health scores was a cancer stage of 4 vs 1 (p = 0.049), whereas a higher number of symptom surveys completed was associated with worse mental health functioning (p = 0.033). For the gynecologic oncology patients, worse PROMIS physical health scores were only associated with higher age (p = 0.037), but higher PROMIS mental health was also associated with higher age (p = 0.029) and borderline significantly associated with not using navigation services (p = 0.07). Conclusions: These results indicate that greater adherence in completing monthly symptom surveys and using navigation services were more likely to be associated with patients reporting lower mental health. PROMIS physical health scores, however, were not significantly associated with adherence to monthly surveys or navigation services. These interim results suggest that monitoring programs, such as this, may assist in identifying and treating patients with lower mental health functioning during treatment.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jokela ◽  
A. Singh-Manoux ◽  
J. E. Ferrie ◽  
D. Gimeno ◽  
T. N. Akbaraly ◽  
...  

BackgroundCognitive performance has been associated with mental and physical health, but it is unknown whether the strength of these associations changes with ageing and with age-related social transitions, such as retirement. We examined whether cognitive performance predicted mental and physical health from midlife to early old age.MethodParticipants were 5414 men and 2278 women from the Whitehall II cohort study followed for 15 years between 1991 and 2006. The age range included over the follow-up was from 40 to 75 years. Mental health and physical functioning were measured six times using SF-36 subscales. Cognitive performance was assessed three times using five cognitive tests assessing verbal and numerical reasoning, verbal memory, and phonemic and semantic fluency. Socio-economic status (SES) and retirement were included as covariates.ResultsHigh cognitive performance was associated with better mental health and physical functioning. Mental health differences associated with cognitive performance widened with age from 39 to 76 years of age, whereas physical functioning differences widened only between 39 and 60 years and not after 60 years of age. SES explained part of the widening differences in mental health and physical functioning before age 60. Cognitive performance was more strongly associated with mental health in retired than non-retired participants, which contributed to the widening differences after 60 years of age.ConclusionsThe strength of cognitive performance in predicting mental and physical health may increase from midlife to early old age, and these changes may be related to SES and age-related transitions, such as retirement.


2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110454
Author(s):  
Jaakko Harkko ◽  
Hertta Ranta ◽  
Tea Lallukka ◽  
Hilla Nordquist ◽  
Minna Mänty ◽  
...  

Background: The associations between adverse working conditions and mental disorders are well established. However, associations between adverse working conditions and poor mental health functioning is a less explored area. This study examines these associations among younger public sector employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. Methods: We use data from the Young Helsinki Health Study with a representative sample of the employees of the City of Helsinki, aged 19–39 years ( n=4 217). Mental health functioning was measured with mental composite summary of the Short Form 36. Working conditions included factors related to both the psychosocial (job control and job demands) and the physical work environment (physical workload). To examine the associations, we used logistic regression models with adjustments for socio-demographics, other working conditions and health-related covariates. Results: After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, poor health, health behaviours and other occupational exposures, high job demands (OR=1.69; 95% CI=1.45–1.97) and low job control (OR=1.65; 95% CI=1.40–1.94) were associated with poor mental health functioning. High physical workload was not associated with the outcome (OR=0.87; 95% CI=0.72–1.05) after the adjustments. Conclusions: Adverse psychosocial working conditions were associated with mental health functioning, whereas physical working conditions were not. As impaired functioning is likely to cause health-related lost productivity and can lead to work disability, further research and interventions with a balanced approach focusing on both psychosocial working conditions and mental health functioning are recommended.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 103-110
Author(s):  
S. Tomassi ◽  
M. Ruggeri

Summary Background: The global crisis that began in 2007 has been the most prolonged economic recession since 1929. It has caused worldwide tangible costs in terms of cuts in employment and income, which have been widely recognised also as major social determinants of mental health (1, 2). The so-called “Great Recession” has disproportionately affected the most vulnerable part of society of the whole Eurozone (3). Across Europe, an increase in suicides and deaths rates due to mental and behavioural disorders was reported among those who lost their jobs, houses and economic activities as a consequence of the crisis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D Mancini

In this commentary, I argue that the mental health impact of COVID-19 will show substantial variation across individuals, contexts, and time. Further, one key contributor to this variation will be the proximal and long-term impact of COVID-19 on the social environment. In addition to the mental health costs of the pandemic, it is likely that a subset of people will experience improved social and mental health functioning.


2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
Michael J. Lambert ◽  
Gianluca Lo Coco

While highly effective, psychotherapy outcome studies suggest 5?14% of clients worsen while in treatment and that therapists are unable to identify a substantial portion of such cases. Methods to systematically track client mental health functioning over the course of treatment and adjust treatment through the use of problem-solving tools are described. We summarize meta-analyses of the effects of a feedback system indicating that the number of psychotherapy patients who deteriorate can be cut in half. We conclude with a series of practice implications, including that clinicians seriously consider making formal methods of collecting client feedback a routine part of their daily practice.


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2092-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly K. McClanahan ◽  
Marlene B. Huff ◽  
Hatim A. Omar

Holistic health, incorporating mind and body as equally important and unified components of health, is a concept utilized in some health care arenas in the United States (U.S.) over the past 30 years. However, in the U.S., mental health is not seen as conceptually integral to physical health and, thus, holistic health cannot be realized until the historical concept of mind-body dualism, continuing stigma regarding mental illness, lack of mental health parity in insurance, and inaccurate public perceptions regarding mental illness are adequately addressed and resolved. Until then, mental and physical health will continue to be viewed as disparate entities rather than parts of a unified whole. We conclude that the U.S. currently does not generally incorporate the tenets of holistic health in its view of the mental and physical health of its citizens, and provide some suggestions for changing that viewpoint.


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