BACKGROUND: The objective is to study the relations between depressive symptoms and atypical jobs in the working population in France and to determine if these associations might be linked with psychosocial and organizational constraints. METHODS: The data come from the 2003 Decennial health survey and concern 11,895 workers. Depressive symptoms were measured by the CES-D scale. Atypical jobs were defined by employment status (fixed-term or temporary job contract, permanent job contract, self-employed) and by part-time work during working life (involuntary or chosen). Working conditions related to atypical hours and psychosocial factors were also studied. RESULTS: For both sexes, involuntary part-time work was associated with a higher frequency of depressive symptoms, but part-time work by choice was not. Fixed-term contracts were associated with depressive symptoms only in women. All of these associations persisted after adjustment for psychosocial and organizational factors. CONCLUSION: The associations between atypical jobs and depressive symptoms differ for job status according to sex and do not seem to be associated with the worst psychosocial working conditions. The interpretation of these results is nonetheless limited in part by the cross-sectional nature of the survey. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
BACKGROUND: The objective is to study the relations between depressive symptoms and atypical jobs in the working population in France and to determine if these associations might be linked with psychosocial and organizational constraints. METHODS: The data come from the 2003 Decennial health survey and concern 11,895 workers. Depressive symptoms were measured by the CES-D scale. Atypical jobs were defined by employment status (fixed-term or temporary job contract, permanent job contract, self-employed) and by part-time work during working life (involuntary or chosen). Working conditions related to atypical hours and psychosocial factors were also studied. RESULTS: For both sexes, involuntary part-time work was associated with a higher frequency of depressive symptoms, but part-time work by choice was not. Fixed-term contracts were associated with depressive symptoms only in women. All of these associations persisted after adjustment for psychosocial and organizational factors. CONCLUSION: The associations between atypical jobs and depressive symptoms differ for job status according to sex and do not seem to be associated with the worst psychosocial working conditions. The interpretation of these results is nonetheless limited in part by the cross-sectional nature of the survey. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Authors: Alejandra Vives; Marcelo Amable; Montserrat Ferrer; Salvador Moncada; Clara Llorens; Carles Muntaner; Fernando G Benavides; Joan Benach Journal: J Environ Public Health Date: 2013-02-03