Depressive symptoms and psychosocial stress at work among older employees in three continents.

TitleDepressive symptoms and psychosocial stress at work among older employees in three continents.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsSiegrist, J, Lunau, T, Wahrendorf, M, Dragano, N
JournalGlobal Health
Volume8
Pagination27
Date Published2012 Jul 20
ISSN Number1744-8603
KeywordsAsia, Cross-Sectional Studies, Data collection, depression, Europe, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, North America, Prevalence, Regression Analysis, Risk Factors, Stress, Psychological, Work
Abstract

BACKGROUND: To assess whether an association of psychosocial stress at work with depressive symptoms among older employees is evident in a set of comparable empirical studies from Europe, North America and Asia.

METHODS: Cross-sectional and longitudinal multivariate regression analyses of data from 4 cohort studies with elder workers (2004 and 2006) testing associations of psychosocial stress at work ('effort-reward imbalance'; 'low control') with depressive symptoms.

RESULTS: Cross-sectional analyses from 17 countries with 14.236 participants reveal elevated odds ratios of depressive symptoms among people experiencing high work stress compared to those with low or no work stress. Adjusted odds ratios vary from 1.64 (95% CI 1.02-2.63) in Japan to 1.97 (95% CI 1.75-2.23) in Europe and 2.28 (95% CI 1.59-3.28) in the USA. Odds ratios from additional longitudinal analyses (in 13 countries) controlling for baseline depression are smaller, but remain in part significant.

CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that psychosocial stress at work might be a relevant risk factor for depressive symptoms among older employees across countries and continents. This observation may call for global policy efforts to improve quality of work in view of a rapidly aging workforce, in particular in times of economic globalization.

DOI10.1186/1744-8603-8-27
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22818354?dopt=Abstract

Endnote Keywords

psychosocial/Depression/cross-national/labor Force Participation/Older Workers/Stress/workplace

Endnote ID

69706

Alternate JournalGlobal Health
Citation Key7771
PubMed ID22818354
PubMed Central IDPMC3503785
Grant ListP01 AG08291 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
Y1-AG-4553-01 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG005842 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG12815 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG09740-13S2 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States