Is the association between poor job control and common mental disorder explained by general perceptions of control? Findings from an Australian longitudinal cohort

Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health

Peter Butterworth¹  Liana Leach¹  Lay San Too² 

[1] ;Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.;

关键词: stress;    mental health;    control;    depression;    job control;    australia;    mental disorder;    common mental disorder;    association;    psychosocial;    job stressor;    longitudinal cohort;   

DOI  :  10.5271/sjweh.3869

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine the influence of general perceptions of control on the association between job control and mental health. METHODS: We used four waves of data from a cohort of mid-aged adults from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Study (baseline N=2106). Key measures included job control and likelihood of experiencing a common mental disorder (anxiety and/or depression). The data were analyzed using longitudinal random-intercept regression models, controlling for a range of potential confounders including general perceptions of control (ie, not isolated to the work context) via a measure of mastery. The analyses isolated the effect of within-person changes in job control on mental health (apart from between-person differences). RESULTS: The results show that the effect of job control remained significant after adjusting for general perceptions of control and other confounders. The within-person effect in the model demonstrated that, when workers had low job control, they were twice as likely to experience a common mental disorder [odds ratio (OR) 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.53‒2.73]. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals’ general perceptions of control in life does not account for the association between low job control and poor mental health. The findings add a new layer of evidence to the literature demonstrating that lack of autonomy at work is an independent predictor of employees’ mental health. Increasing employee control should be integrated into workplace strategies to promote mental health.

【 授权许可】

Unknown