Occupational position and its relation to mental distress in a random sample of Danish residents

Purpose To analyze the distribution of depressive, anxiety, and somatization symptoms across different occupational positions in a random sample of Danish residents. Methods The study sample consisted of 591 Danish residents (50% women), aged 20–65, drawn from an age- and gender-stratified random sa...

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Published in:	International archives of occupational and environmental health Vol. 83; no. 6; pp. 625 - 629
Main Authors:	Rugulies, Reiner, Madsen, Ida E. H., Nielsen, Maj Britt D., Olsen, Lis R., Mortensen, Erik L., Bech, Per
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-08-2010 Springer Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	Adult Adult and adolescent clinical studies Anxiety - etiology Biological and medical sciences Cohabitation Denmark Depression Earth and Environmental Science Employment Environment Environmental Health Female Humans Male Medical sciences Mental disorders Mental Disorders - etiology Middle Aged Miscellaneous Mood disorders Occupational Exposure Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine Occupations Original Article Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry Psychopathology. Psychiatry Rehabilitation Social Class Social classes Somatoform disorders. Psychosomatics Stress, Psychological - etiology Surveys and Questionnaires Work environment Workplace - psychology Young Adult Denmark Europe Depression Anxiety Social class Workplace Mental disorders Somatization disorders Mood disorder Human Affect affectivity Work place Anxiety disorder Somatization Unemployment Profession Psychological distress Employment Somatoform disorder Mental disorder Social aspect Occupational medicine
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Summary:	Purpose To analyze the distribution of depressive, anxiety, and somatization symptoms across different occupational positions in a random sample of Danish residents. Methods The study sample consisted of 591 Danish residents (50% women), aged 20–65, drawn from an age- and gender-stratified random sample of the Danish population. Participants filled out a survey that included the 92 item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-92). We categorized occupational position into seven groups: high- and low-grade non-manual workers, skilled and unskilled manual workers, high- and low-grade self-employed, and unemployed. Results Compared to the reference group of high-grade non-manual workers, the depressive symptom score was statistically significantly elevated among unskilled manual workers ( P = 0.043) and the unemployed ( P < 0.001), after adjustment for age, gender, cohabitation, life events, and low household income. The anxiety symptom score was elevated only among the unemployed ( P = 0.004). The somatization symptom score was elevated among unskilled manual workers ( P = 0.002), the low-grade self-employed ( P = 0.023), and the unemployed ( P = 0.001). When we analyzed caseness of severe symptoms, we found that unskilled manual workers (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.06–10.04) and the unemployed (OR = 6.20, 95% CI = 1.98–19.42) had a higher prevalence of severe depressive symptoms, compared to the reference group of high-grade non-manual workers. The unemployed also had a higher prevalence of severe somatization symptoms (OR = 6.28, 95% CI = 1.39–28.46). Conclusions Unskilled manual workers, the unemployed, and, to a lesser extent, the low-grade self-employed showed an increased level of mental distress. Activities to promote mental health in the Danish population should be directed toward these groups.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	0340-0131 1432-1246
DOI:	10.1007/s00420-009-0492-8