%0 Journal Article %J BMC Public Health %D 2013 %T Work stress and depressive symptoms in older employees: impact of national labour and social policies. %A Lunau, T. %A Morten Wahrendorf %A Dragano, N. %A Johannes Siegrist %K depression %K Employment %K Europe %K Female %K Humans %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Psychiatric Status Rating Scales %K Public Policy %K Risk Factors %K Stress, Psychological %K Surveys and Questionnaires %X

BACKGROUND: Maintaining health and work ability among older employees is a primary target of national labour and social policies (NLSP) in Europe. Depression makes a significant contribution to early retirement, and chronic work-related stress is associated with elevated risks of depression. We test this latter association among older employees and explore to what extent indicators of distinct NLSP modify the association between work stress and depressive symptoms. We choose six indicators, classified in three categories: (1) investment in active labour market policies, (2) employment protection, (3) level of distributive justice.

METHODS: We use data from three longitudinal ageing studies (SHARE, HRS, ELSA) including 5650 men and women in 13 countries. Information on work stress (effort-reward imbalance, low work control) and depressive symptoms (CES-D, EURO-D) was obtained. Six NLSP indicators were selected from OECD databases. Associations of work stress (2004) with depressive symptoms (2006) and their modification by policy indicators were analysed using logistic multilevel models.

RESULTS: Risk of depressive symptoms at follow-up is higher among those experiencing effort-reward imbalance (OR: 1.55 95% CI 1.27-1.89) and low control (OR: 1.46 95% CI 1.19-1.79) at work. Interaction terms indicate a modifying effect of a majority of protective NLSP indicators on the strength of associations of effort - reward imbalance with depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: Work stress is associated with elevated risk of prospective depressive symptoms among older employees from 13 European countries. Protective labour and social policies modify the strength of these associations. If further supported findings may have important policy implications.

%B BMC Public Health %I 13 %V 13 %P 1086 %8 2013 Nov 21 %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24256638?dopt=Abstract %4 Cross-national study/Demand-control/Depressive symptoms/Effort-reward imbalance/Labour and social policies/Work stress %$ 999999 %R 10.1186/1471-2458-13-1086 %0 Journal Article %J Global Health %D 2012 %T Depressive symptoms and psychosocial stress at work among older employees in three continents. %A Johannes Siegrist %A Lunau, T. %A Morten Wahrendorf %A Dragano, N. %K Asia %K Cross-Sectional Studies %K Data collection %K depression %K Europe %K Female %K Humans %K Longitudinal Studies %K Male %K Middle Aged %K North America %K Prevalence %K Regression Analysis %K Risk Factors %K Stress, Psychological %K Work %X

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.

%B Global Health %I 8 %V 8 %P 27 %8 2012 Jul 20 %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22818354?dopt=Abstract %4 psychosocial/Depression/cross-national/labor Force Participation/Older Workers/Stress/workplace %$ 69706 %R 10.1186/1744-8603-8-27