Work and Mental Complaints: Are Response Outcome Expectancies More Important Than Work Conditions and Number of Subjective Health Complaints?
Tone Langjordet Johnsen, Aage Indahl, Hege Randi Eriksen and 2 others
PMID 27342242WHAT IT FOUND
In working adults, a high number of everyday health complaints was the strongest sign of anxiety and depression, not work strain or coping beliefs.
Helplessness and hopelessness were linked to depression and combined anxiety and depression, but the links were small.
Key findings
01A high number of substantial subjective health complaints had the highest explanatory power for depression.
02For anxiety alone, the number of substantial subjective health complaints was the one variable that remained a significant factor in the full model.
03Helplessness/hopelessness remained associated with depression, but it did not remain associated with anxiety alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The response rate was about 50%, so participants may differ from employees who did not respond. The study measured associations at one time, so it cannot show which factor caused anxiety or depression. The sample was mostly women and came from public sector municipalities, so it may not apply to private sector workers or other groups. Anxiety and depression were measured with single items from a complaints inventory, not clinical diagnosis. The associations were statistically significant but small.
Declared interests
The work was funded by Vestfold Hospital Trust. No other conflict of interest statement is given.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving coping beliefs or reducing work strain will lower anxiety and depression. This paper measured associations at one time, the associations were small, and a high number of everyday complaints was more strongly linked to anxiety and depression than those work factors.