Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study

Objectives This study sought to assess the association between long working hours, psychosocial safety climate (PSC), work engagement (WE) and new major depression symptoms emerging over the next 12 months. PSC is the work climate supporting workplace psychological health.Setting Australian prospect...

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Main Authors: Maureen F Dollard, Paul Landsbergis, Amy Jane Zadow, Christian Dormann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-06-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/6/e044133.full
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author Maureen F Dollard
Paul Landsbergis
Amy Jane Zadow
Christian Dormann
author_facet Maureen F Dollard
Paul Landsbergis
Amy Jane Zadow
Christian Dormann
author_sort Maureen F Dollard
collection DOAJ
description Objectives This study sought to assess the association between long working hours, psychosocial safety climate (PSC), work engagement (WE) and new major depression symptoms emerging over the next 12 months. PSC is the work climate supporting workplace psychological health.Setting Australian prospective cohort population data from the states of New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.Participants At Time 1, there were 3921 respondents in the sample. Self-employed, casual temporary, unclassified, those with working hours <35 (37% of 2850) and participants with major depression symptoms at Time 1 (6.7% of 1782) were removed. The final sample was a population-based cohort of 1084 full-time Australian employees.Primary and secondary outcome measures The planned and measured outcomes were new cases of major depression symptoms.Results Long working hours were not significantly related to new cases of major depression symptoms; however, when mild cases were removed, the 41–48 and ≥55 long working hour categories were positively related to major depression symptoms. Low PSC was associated with a threefold increase in risk for new major depression symptoms. PSC was not related to long working hours, and long working hours did not mediate the relationship between PSC and new cases of major depression symptoms. The inverse relationship between PSC and major depression symptoms was stronger for males than females. Additional analyses identified that WE was positively related to long working hours. Long working hours (41–48 and ≥55 hours) mediated a positive relationship between WE and major depression symptoms when mild cases of major depression were removed.Conclusion The results suggest that low workplace PSC and potentially long working hours (41–48; ≥55 hours/week) increase the risk of new major depression symptoms. Furthermore, high WE may increase long working hours and subsequent major depression symptoms.
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spelling doaj-art-d2ba3a1fbf414b32a219b260670166ad2024-11-20T01:45:12ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-06-0111610.1136/bmjopen-2020-044133Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort studyMaureen F Dollard0Paul Landsbergis1Amy Jane Zadow2Christian Dormann3Justice & Society, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia1 Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate Medical Center School of Public Health, Brooklyn, New York, USACentre for Workplace Excellence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaJohannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz, Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, GermanyObjectives This study sought to assess the association between long working hours, psychosocial safety climate (PSC), work engagement (WE) and new major depression symptoms emerging over the next 12 months. PSC is the work climate supporting workplace psychological health.Setting Australian prospective cohort population data from the states of New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.Participants At Time 1, there were 3921 respondents in the sample. Self-employed, casual temporary, unclassified, those with working hours <35 (37% of 2850) and participants with major depression symptoms at Time 1 (6.7% of 1782) were removed. The final sample was a population-based cohort of 1084 full-time Australian employees.Primary and secondary outcome measures The planned and measured outcomes were new cases of major depression symptoms.Results Long working hours were not significantly related to new cases of major depression symptoms; however, when mild cases were removed, the 41–48 and ≥55 long working hour categories were positively related to major depression symptoms. Low PSC was associated with a threefold increase in risk for new major depression symptoms. PSC was not related to long working hours, and long working hours did not mediate the relationship between PSC and new cases of major depression symptoms. The inverse relationship between PSC and major depression symptoms was stronger for males than females. Additional analyses identified that WE was positively related to long working hours. Long working hours (41–48 and ≥55 hours) mediated a positive relationship between WE and major depression symptoms when mild cases of major depression were removed.Conclusion The results suggest that low workplace PSC and potentially long working hours (41–48; ≥55 hours/week) increase the risk of new major depression symptoms. Furthermore, high WE may increase long working hours and subsequent major depression symptoms.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/6/e044133.full
spellingShingle Maureen F Dollard
Paul Landsbergis
Amy Jane Zadow
Christian Dormann
Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study
BMJ Open
title Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study
title_full Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study
title_fullStr Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study
title_short Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study
title_sort predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours psychosocial safety climate and work engagement a population based cohort study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/6/e044133.full
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