TY - JOUR

T1 - Gendered working environments as a determinant of mental health inequalities

T2 - a systematic review of 27 studies

AU - Milner, Allison

AU - Scovelle, Anna Joy

AU - King, Tania

AU - Marck, Claudia

AU - McAllister, Ashley

AU - Kavanagh, Anne

AU - Shields, Marissa

AU - Török, Eszter

AU - Maheen, Humaira

AU - O'Neil, Adrienne

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Background Gendered working environments' describes the ways in which (1) differential selection into work, (2) variations in employment arrangements and working hours, (3) differences in psychosocial exposures and (4) differential selection out of work may produce varied mental health outcomes for men and women. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to understand gender differences in mental health outcomes in relation to the components of gendered working environments. Methods The review followed a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search approach and focused on studies published in 2008-2018. The protocol for the review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019124066). Findings Across the 27 cohort studies included in the review, we found that (1) there was inconclusive evidence on the effect of occupational gender composition on the mental health of men and women, (2) women's mental health was more likely to be affected by long working hours than men's; however, precarious employment was more likely to be negatively associated with men's mental health, (3) exposure to traditional constructs of psychosocial job stressors negatively affected the mental health of both women and men, and (4) unemployment and retirement are associated with poorer mental health in both genders. Interpretation The findings from this review indicate that gendered working environments may affect the mental health of both men and women, but the association is dependent on the specific exposure examined. There is still much to be understood about gendered working environments, and future research into work and health should be considered with a gender lens.

AB - Background Gendered working environments' describes the ways in which (1) differential selection into work, (2) variations in employment arrangements and working hours, (3) differences in psychosocial exposures and (4) differential selection out of work may produce varied mental health outcomes for men and women. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to understand gender differences in mental health outcomes in relation to the components of gendered working environments. Methods The review followed a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) search approach and focused on studies published in 2008-2018. The protocol for the review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019124066). Findings Across the 27 cohort studies included in the review, we found that (1) there was inconclusive evidence on the effect of occupational gender composition on the mental health of men and women, (2) women's mental health was more likely to be affected by long working hours than men's; however, precarious employment was more likely to be negatively associated with men's mental health, (3) exposure to traditional constructs of psychosocial job stressors negatively affected the mental health of both women and men, and (4) unemployment and retirement are associated with poorer mental health in both genders. Interpretation The findings from this review indicate that gendered working environments may affect the mental health of both men and women, but the association is dependent on the specific exposure examined. There is still much to be understood about gendered working environments, and future research into work and health should be considered with a gender lens.

KW - gender

KW - mental health

KW - public health

U2 - 10.1136/oemed-2019-106281

DO - 10.1136/oemed-2019-106281

M3 - Review

C2 - 32817251

AN - SCOPUS:85102709212

VL - 78

SP - 147

EP - 152

JO - Occupational and Environmental Medicine

JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine

SN - 1351-0711

IS - 3

ER -