Occupational gender roles in relation to workplace stress, allostatic load, and mental health of psychiatric hospital workers
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Occupational gender roles in relation to workplace stress, allostatic load, and mental health of psychiatric hospital workers. / Kerr, Philippe; Barbosa Da Torre, Margot; Giguère, Charles Édouard; Lupien, Sonia J.; Juster, Robert Paul.
In: Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 142, 110352, 03.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational gender roles in relation to workplace stress, allostatic load, and mental health of psychiatric hospital workers
AU - Kerr, Philippe
AU - Barbosa Da Torre, Margot
AU - Giguère, Charles Édouard
AU - Lupien, Sonia J.
AU - Juster, Robert Paul
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Objectives: Gendered inequalities in workplace stress are linked to sex-specific health trajectories that are poorly understood. Measuring gendered inequalities is challenging but necessary to better explain individual differences in occupational health. The aim of this exploratory, retrospective study was to create a measure of occupational gender-roles and use structural equation models to investigate pathways linking layers of gendered factors to workplace stress, allostatic load, and mental health in a sample of psychiatric hospital workers (N = 192). Methods: Individual-level gender-roles were measured with the Bem Sex-Role Inventory Short-Form. Occupational gender-roles were measured using a novel web-based survey approach. Sex-specific allostatic load indices were constructed using 23 biomarkers (e.g., neuroendocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic). Workplace stress was assessed using the Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort-Reward at Work Questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II, burnout symptoms with the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, and trauma symptoms with the PTSD Civilian Checklist. Results: Individual-level masculine gender-roles were positively associated with psychological demands (R2 = 0.103) and social support (R2 = 0.078). Masculine and feminine occupational gender-roles were positively associated with decisional latitude (R2 = 0.157) and effort-reward ratio (R2 = 0.058). Both individual masculine and feminine gender-roles had protective effects on depressive symptoms (R2 = 0.289) and burnout symptoms (R2 = 0.306) but only individual masculine gender-roles had protective effects on trauma symptoms (R2 = 0.198). We found no association between occupational gender-roles and mental health and allostatic load. Conclusion: Beyond individual gender-roles, our study shows the utility of measuring occupational gender-roles to delineate associations between workplace stressors and mental health that should be applied in future studies of sex differences in occupational health.
AB - Objectives: Gendered inequalities in workplace stress are linked to sex-specific health trajectories that are poorly understood. Measuring gendered inequalities is challenging but necessary to better explain individual differences in occupational health. The aim of this exploratory, retrospective study was to create a measure of occupational gender-roles and use structural equation models to investigate pathways linking layers of gendered factors to workplace stress, allostatic load, and mental health in a sample of psychiatric hospital workers (N = 192). Methods: Individual-level gender-roles were measured with the Bem Sex-Role Inventory Short-Form. Occupational gender-roles were measured using a novel web-based survey approach. Sex-specific allostatic load indices were constructed using 23 biomarkers (e.g., neuroendocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and metabolic). Workplace stress was assessed using the Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort-Reward at Work Questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II, burnout symptoms with the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, and trauma symptoms with the PTSD Civilian Checklist. Results: Individual-level masculine gender-roles were positively associated with psychological demands (R2 = 0.103) and social support (R2 = 0.078). Masculine and feminine occupational gender-roles were positively associated with decisional latitude (R2 = 0.157) and effort-reward ratio (R2 = 0.058). Both individual masculine and feminine gender-roles had protective effects on depressive symptoms (R2 = 0.289) and burnout symptoms (R2 = 0.306) but only individual masculine gender-roles had protective effects on trauma symptoms (R2 = 0.198). We found no association between occupational gender-roles and mental health and allostatic load. Conclusion: Beyond individual gender-roles, our study shows the utility of measuring occupational gender-roles to delineate associations between workplace stressors and mental health that should be applied in future studies of sex differences in occupational health.
KW - Allostatic load
KW - Gender-roles
KW - Mental health
KW - Sex differences
KW - Workplace stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099221802&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110352
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110352
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33450429
AN - SCOPUS:85099221802
VL - 142
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
SN - 0022-3999
M1 - 110352
ER -
ID: 393780757