TY - ABST

T1 - Psychosocial factors of modern work life and incident depression in Denmark 2000-06

AU - Nygaard, Else

AU - Thielen, Karsten

AU - Diderichsen, Finn

N1 - Conference code: 16

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Depressions and depressive symptoms play a major explanatoryrole to sickness absence and early retirement at the Danishlabour market, and represent a general public health issue.Modern work life is borderless, transient and lack sense ofcommunity. Aim of study was to analyse the effect of psychosocialfactors of modern work life on the incidence ofdepression.MethodsBaseline data 2000 were collected from a sample of 7588 Danishmen and women aged 40 and 50 years. By October 2006, afollow-up survey was sent to all respondents. Persons, who atbaseline were unemployed, with current or prior depression, ormissing values, were excluded, leaving 3158 persons for theprospective analyses. Psychosocial factors of modern work life2000 were measured by scales on work pressure, work pace, emotional pressure, learning opportunities, variation of work,meaningfulness, social support from colleagues and managers,and sense of workplace community. Depression and depressivesymptoms in 2000 and 2006 were measured with the MajorDepression Inventory (MDI), a scale which provides informationon depressive episodes during the preceding 2 weeks. MDIscore with cut-off at 19/20 was defined as depressive cases. Bylogistic regression we calculated odds ratio (OR) and confidenceintervals (CIs) for depression, controlling for age, sex,occupational social position, family status, alcohol consumption,seniority and MDI score at baseline.ResultsPreliminary results showed that work pace (OR 1.72, 95% CI1.28–2.32), emotional pressure (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.17–2.34),and lack of sense of community (OR1.61, 95% CI 1.12–2.31)significantly increased the odds of incident depression. Significantfactors for women were work pace and lack of sense ofcommunity, and for men work pace and emotional pressure.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that psychosocial factors of modern worklife influence the development of depression, and that thesefactors may affect men and women differently.

AB - Depressions and depressive symptoms play a major explanatoryrole to sickness absence and early retirement at the Danishlabour market, and represent a general public health issue.Modern work life is borderless, transient and lack sense ofcommunity. Aim of study was to analyse the effect of psychosocialfactors of modern work life on the incidence ofdepression.MethodsBaseline data 2000 were collected from a sample of 7588 Danishmen and women aged 40 and 50 years. By October 2006, afollow-up survey was sent to all respondents. Persons, who atbaseline were unemployed, with current or prior depression, ormissing values, were excluded, leaving 3158 persons for theprospective analyses. Psychosocial factors of modern work life2000 were measured by scales on work pressure, work pace, emotional pressure, learning opportunities, variation of work,meaningfulness, social support from colleagues and managers,and sense of workplace community. Depression and depressivesymptoms in 2000 and 2006 were measured with the MajorDepression Inventory (MDI), a scale which provides informationon depressive episodes during the preceding 2 weeks. MDIscore with cut-off at 19/20 was defined as depressive cases. Bylogistic regression we calculated odds ratio (OR) and confidenceintervals (CIs) for depression, controlling for age, sex,occupational social position, family status, alcohol consumption,seniority and MDI score at baseline.ResultsPreliminary results showed that work pace (OR 1.72, 95% CI1.28–2.32), emotional pressure (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.17–2.34),and lack of sense of community (OR1.61, 95% CI 1.12–2.31)significantly increased the odds of incident depression. Significantfactors for women were work pace and lack of sense ofcommunity, and for men work pace and emotional pressure.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that psychosocial factors of modern worklife influence the development of depression, and that thesefactors may affect men and women differently.

M3 - Conference abstract in journal

SP - 26

EP - 27

JO - European Journal of Public Health

JF - European Journal of Public Health

SN - 1101-1262

IS - Supplement 1

Y2 - 29 November 2010

ER -