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Precarious Work as Risk Factor for 5-Year Increase in Depressive Symptoms

Author

Listed:
  • Yucel Demiral

    (Department of Public Health, Medical Faculty, Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir 35340, Turkey)

  • Tobias Ihle

    (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), 10317 Berlin, Germany)

  • Uwe Rose

    (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), 10317 Berlin, Germany)

  • Paul Maurice Conway

    (Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark)

  • Hermann Burr

    (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), 10317 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between precarious work and depressive symptoms in a representative cohort of employees in Germany. Methods: In the German Study on Mental Health at Work (S-MGA) ( n = 2009), depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ−9). Precarious work was measured through baseline (2012) self-reported job insecurity, marginal part-time, fixed-term contract, hourly wage and—during follow-ups 2012–2017—unemployment. Among employees without depressive symptoms at baseline (2012), we ran logistic regression analyses stratified by gender with depressive symptoms at follow-up in 2017 as the dependent variable, adjusting for baseline (2012) age, gender, socioeconomic position and partner status. Results: Among men, job insecurity (OR: 2.47; 95% 95% CI: 1.37–4.48) and low wage (3.79; 1.64–8.72) at baseline were significantly associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among women, indicators of precarious work were not associated with depressive symptoms at follow-up. Among men, a cumulative exposure index of precarious work was significantly associated with the development of depressive symptoms (one indicator: 1.84; 0.94–3.60, ≥two indicators: 7.65; 3.30–17.73). This index was not associated with depressive symptoms among women. The population attributable fraction of precarious work due to depressive symptoms among men was approximately 30%. Conclusions: Among employees in Germany, precarious work seems to be a risk factor for the subsequent development of depressive symptoms among men, but not among women. Research on precarious employment in different countries is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yucel Demiral & Tobias Ihle & Uwe Rose & Paul Maurice Conway & Hermann Burr, 2022. "Precarious Work as Risk Factor for 5-Year Increase in Depressive Symptoms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:6:p:3175-:d:766477
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ervin, Jennifer & Taouk, Yamna & Hewitt, Belinda & King, Tania, 2023. "The gendered associations between precarious employment and mental health in working-age Australians: A longitudinal analysis using 16 waves of the HILDA survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 339(C).
    2. Annie Irvine & Nikolas Rose, 2024. "How Does Precarious Employment Affect Mental Health? A Scoping Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence from Western Economies," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(2), pages 418-441, April.

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