Psychosocial working conditions and depressive symptoms among Swedish employees

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Linda L Magnusson Hanson
  • Töres Theorell
  • Per Bech
  • Rugulies, Reiner Ernst
  • Hermann Burr
  • Martin Hyde
  • Gabriel Oxenstierna
  • Hugo Westerlund
  • Linda L Magnusson Hanson
  • Töres Theorell
  • Per Bech
  • Reiner Rugulies
  • Hermann Burr
  • Martin Hyde
  • Gabriel Oxenstierna
  • Hugo Westerlund
PURPOSE: To investigate prospective associations between working conditions and depressive symptoms in Swedish men and women. METHODS: The study was based on SLOSH (N = 5,985), a follow-up of a representative sample of gainfully employed Swedes 16-64 years of age from the Swedish Work Environment Survey 2003. Work demands, decision authority, support and conflicts at work were measured in 2003. Depressive symptoms were recorded in 2006 by a short version of the depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). Linear regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: After adjusting for an indicator of previous depressive symptoms and covariates, conflicts with fellow workers in men were associated with depressive symptoms, whereas demands (men), support from fellow workers (women), and decision authority predicted lower scores. CONCLUSION: The study supports the theory that decision authority, support and conflicts at work are predictive of depressive symptoms in the general Swedish working population.
Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
Volume82
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)951-60
Number of pages9
ISSN0340-0131
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Conflict (Psychology); Decision Making; Depression; Employment; Female; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Prospective Studies; Psychology, Industrial; Sweden; Workload; Workplace; Young Adult

ID: 21335428