scholarly journals Psychosocial job characteristics and mental health: Do associations differ by migrant status in an Australian working population sample?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242906
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Liu ◽  
Steven J. Bowe ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Lay San Too ◽  
Anthony D. LaMontagne
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Job Characteristics ◽  
Migrant Status ◽  
Effect Modifier ◽  
Decision Authority ◽  
Differential Vulnerability ◽  
Psychosocial Job Characteristics ◽  
Differential Exposure ◽  
Skill Discretion

Migrant workers may experience higher burdens of occupational injury and illness compared to native-born workers, which may be due to the differential exposure to occupational hazards, differential vulnerability to exposure-associated health impacts, or both. This study aims to assess if the relationships between psychosocial job characteristics and mental health vary by migrant status in Australia (differential vulnerability). A total of 8969 persons from wave 14 (2014–2015) of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey were included in the analysis. Psychosocial job characteristics included skill discretion, decision authority and job insecurity. Mental health was assessed via a Mental Health Inventory-5 score (MHI-5), with a higher score indicating better mental health. Migrant status was defined by (i) country of birth (COB), (ii) the combination of COB and English/Non-English dominant language of COB and (iii) the combination of COB and years since arrival in Australia. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age and educational attainment. Migrant status was analysed as an effect modifier of the relationships between psychosocial job characteristics and mental health. Skill discretion and decision authority were positively associated with the MHI-5 score while job insecurity was negatively associated with the MHI-5 score. We found no statistical evidence of migrant status acting as an effect modifier of the psychosocial job characteristic―MHI-5 relationships. With respect to psychosocial job characteristic―mental health relationships, these results suggest that differential exposure to job stressors is a more important mechanism than differential vulnerability for generating occupational health inequities between migrants and native-born workers in Australia.

scholarly journals 682Do job stressor—mental health relationships vary by migrant status? An Australian comparative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Liu ◽  
Anthony LaMontagne ◽  
Steven Bowe ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Lay San Too
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Health Inequities ◽  
Migrant Status ◽  
Effect Modifier ◽  
Dominant Language ◽  
Decision Authority ◽  
Job Stressor ◽  
Skill Discretion

Abstract Background Migrants may be more likely to experience occupational health inequities (OHIs) than native-born workers due to higher occupational exposure, higher vulnerability to exposure-associated health impacts, or both. This study explores migrant status-related differences in vulnerability to job stressor exposures in terms of mental health in Australia. Methods Data were from wave 14 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Migrant status was defined by country of birth (COB), the dominant language of COB, and the years since arrival in Australia. Job stressors included skill discretion, decision authority, and job insecurity. Mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Inventory-5 score (MHI-5). Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age, and education. Migrant status was analysed as the effect modifier of job stressor—mental health relationships. Results As expected, skill discretion and decision authority were positively, while job insecurity was negatively associated with the MHI-5 score. However, there was no statistical evidence of migrant status acting as an effect modifier of job stressor—mental health relationships even though the dominant language of COB and years since arrival in Australia have been taken into account. Conclusions The magnitudes of job stressor—mental health relationships do not differ between migrant workers and Australia-born workers. Key messages Differential exposure rather than differential vulnerability is a more important mechanism for generating occupational mental health inequities between migrants and Australian-born workers. Reducing job stressor exposures could reduce the OHIs among migrant workers in Australia.

scholarly journals Differential Exposure to Job Stressors: A Comparative Analysis Between Migrant and Australia-Born Workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 975-989
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Liu ◽  
Steven J Bowe ◽  
Allison Milner ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Lay San Too ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Complexity ◽  
Migrant Status ◽  
Job Stressors ◽  
Decision Authority ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Job Stressor ◽  
Skill Discretion

Abstract Aims Previous studies have suggested that migrants have higher exposures to psychosocial job stressors than native-born workers. We explored migrant status-related differences in skill discretion/job complexity and decision authority, and whether the differences varied by gender, age, and educational attainment. Methods Data were from Wave 14 of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. A total number of 9031 persons were included in the analysis. Outcomes included skill discretion/job complexity and decision authority. Exposure included migrant status defined by (i) country of birth (COB), (ii) the combination of COB and English/Non-English dominant language of COB, and (iii) the combination of COB and years since arrival in Australia. Data were analysed using linear regression, adjusting for gender, age, and educational attainment. These covariates were also analysed as effect modifiers of the relationship between migrant status and job stressor exposure. Results In the unadjusted analysis, only migrant workers from Non-English-speaking countries (Non-ESC-born) had significantly lower skill discretion and job complexity than Australia-born workers (−0.29, 95% CI: −0.56; −0.01); however, results from fully adjusted models showed that all migrant groups, except migrant workers from Main-English-speaking countries, had significantly lower skill discretion and job complexity than Australia-born workers (overseas-born workers, −0.59, 95% CI: −0.79; −0.38; Non-ESC-born, −1.01, 95% CI: −1.27; −0.75; migrant workers who had arrived ≤5 years ago, −1.33, 95% CI: −1.94; −0.72; arrived 6–10 years ago, −0.92, 95% CI: −1.46; −0.39; and arrived ≥11 years ago, −0.45, 95% CI: −0.67; −0.22). On the contrary, the unadjusted model showed that migrant workers had higher decision authority than Australia-born workers, whereas in the fully adjusted model, no difference in decision authority was found between migrant workers and Australia-born workers. Effect modification results showed that as educational attainment increased, differences in skill discretion and job complexity between Australia-born workers and Non-ESC-born migrants progressively increased; whereas Non-ESC-born migrants with postgraduate degree showed significantly lower decision authority than Australia-born workers. Conclusions This study suggests that skill discretion and job complexity but not decision authority is associated with migrant status. Migrants with high educational attainment from Non-English-speaking countries appear to be most affected by lower skill discretion/job complexity and decision authority; however, differences in skill discretion and job complexity attenuate over time for Non-ESC-born migrants, consistent with an acculturation effect. Low skill discretion and job complexity, to the extent that it overlaps with underemployment, may adversely affect migrant workers’ well-being. Targeted language skill support could facilitate migrant integration into the Australian labour market.

scholarly journals Psychosocial job characteristics, wealth, and culture: differential effects on mental health in the UK and Thailand

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasoontara Yiengprugsawan ◽  
Antonio Ivan Lazzarino ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Sam-ang Seubsman ◽  
Adrian C Sleigh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Job Characteristics ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Psychosocial Job Characteristics ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Psychosocial job characteristics, social support, and sense of coherence as determinants of mental health among nurses

Medicina ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (11) ◽  
pp. 910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilija Malinauskienė ◽  
Palmira Leišytė ◽  
Romualdas Malinauskas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Job Characteristics ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Job Control ◽  
Psychosocial Job Characteristics ◽  
Support At Work

Objective. Employment in human service occupations as nursing is reported to display high risk for mental health, and occupational stress has been found to be one of the major work-related health problems. The objective of the study was to explore the associations between psychosocial job characteristics, social support, and internal resources as determinants of mental health status in a sample of Kaunas district nurses. Material and methods. A survey was conducted among the nurses of Kaunas district community in 2008–2009. A total of 638 nurses were randomly selected, and 372 filled in the questionnaire (response rate, 58.3%). Mental distress was measured using the Goldberg 12-item General Health Questionnaire and psychosocial job characteristics using the Swedish version of the Karasek Demand-Control questionnaire. Sense of coherence was measured by the three-item version questionnaire. The logistic regression was performed. Results. Less than one-third (23.0%) of nurses had symptoms of mental distress; 31.9% of nurses had weak sense of coherence. High job demands were associated with mental distress after adjustment for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, job control, social support, sense of coherence, family crisis, self-rated health as compared to one year ago (OR=2.15; 95% CI, 1.07–4.30), low job control (OR=1.22; 95% CI, 0.64–2.31), job strain-low social support at work (OR=3.78; 95% CI, 2.08–6.87). Conclusions. Mental distress among the nurses of Kaunas district was associated with adverse psychosocial job characteristics. Job strain-low social support at work was the strongest risk factor for mental distress among nurses. Strong sense of coherence as personal characteristic served as a buffer, protecting nurses against the development of mental health problems.

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