Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T17:59:59.703Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Job insecurity, socio-economic circumstances and depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2009

H. Meltzer*
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
P. Bebbington
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, Charles Bell House, London, UK
T. Brugha
Affiliation:
University of Leicester, Department of Health Sciences, New Academic Unit, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, UK
R. Jenkins
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
S. McManus
Affiliation:
National Centre for Social Research, London, UK
S. Stansfeld
Affiliation:
Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Old Anatomy Building, Barts and the London Queen Mary's School of Medicine & Dentistry, London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: Professor H. Meltzer, Department of Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Leicester, 22–28 Princess Road West, Leicester LE1 6TP, UK. (Email: [email protected])

Abstract

Background

Economic recessions are characterized by job insecurity and rising unemployment. The relationship between job insecurity and poor mental health is known. However, we do not know how this relationship is affected by individual socio-economic circumstances.

Method

A random probability sample comprising 3581 respondents (1746 men and 1835 women) were selected from the third national survey of psychiatric morbidity in Great Britain. Fieldwork was carried out throughout 2007. Depression was assessed using the revised Clinical Interview Schedule and ICD-10 research diagnostic criteria administered by well-trained lay interviewers.

Results

One-fifth of all working men and women aged 16–64 years felt that their job security was poor. From a multivariate analysis of several job stressors, there was an increased likelihood of depression among those agreeing that their job security was poor [odds ratio (OR) 1.58, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.22–2.06, p<0.001]. After controlling for age and sex, job insecurity (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.47–2.35, p<0.001) and being in debt (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.58–2.98, p<0.001) were independently associated with depression.

Conclusions

Job insecurity has a strong association with feelings of depression even after controlling for biographic characteristics (age and sex), economic factors (personal debt) and work characteristics (type of work and level of responsibility). Despite the organizational changes needed to cope with a recession, employers should also take note of the additional distress experienced by workers at a time of great uncertainty, particularly those in less skilled jobs and in financial straits.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashford, S, Lee, C, Bobko, P (1989). Content, causes, and consequences of job insecurity: a theory-based measure and substantive test. Academy of Management Journal 32, 803829.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonde, JP (2008). Psychological factors at work and risk of depression: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence. Occupation Environment and Medicine 65, 438445.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Leeuw, ED, de Heer, W (2002). Trends in Household Survey Nonresponse: A Longitudinal and International Comparison. Survey Nonresponse, pp. 4451. Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ.Google Scholar
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (2007). European Risk Observation Report, Communities. Expert forecast on emerging psychosocial risks related to occupational safety and health. Office for Official Publications of the European Union: Luxembourg.Google Scholar
Ferrie, JE, Shipley, MJ, Marmot, MG, Stansfeld, S, Davey Smith, G (1998). The health effects of major organisational change and job insecurity. Social Science and Medicine 46, 243254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrie, JE, Shipley, MJ, Newman, K, Stansfeld, SA, Marmot, M (2005). Self-reported job insecurity and health in the Whitehall II study, potential explanations of the relationship. Social Science and Medicine 60, 15931602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hellgren, JM, Sverke, M, Isaksson, K (1999). A two-dimensional approach to job insecurity: Consequences for employee attitudes and well-being. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 8, 179195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LaMontagne, AD, Keegel, T, Vallance, D, Ostry, A, Wolfe, R (2008). Job strain – attributable depression in a sample of working Australians: assessing the contribution to health inequalities. BMC Public Health 8, 281.Google Scholar
Lewis, G, Pelosi, A (1990). Manual of the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R). Institute of Psychiatry: London.Google Scholar
McManus, S, Meltzer, H, Brugha, T, Bebbington, P, Jenkins, R (2009). Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007: Results of a Household Survey. National Centre for Social Research: London.Google Scholar
Mauno, S, Kinnunen, U (2002). Perceived job insecurity among dual-earner couples: Do its antecedents vary according to gender, economic sector and the measure used? Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 75, 295314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meltzer, H, Gill, B, Petticrew, C, Hinds, K (1995). Economic activity and social functioning of adults with psychiatric disorders. HMSO: London.Google Scholar
National Statistics (2009). Labour market, unemployment – snapshot (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=12). Accessed 18 April 2009.Google Scholar
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1997). Is Job Security on the Increase in OECD Countries? OECD Employment Outlook. OECD: Paris.Google Scholar
Siegrist, J (1996). Adverse effects of high-effort/low-reward conditions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 1, 2741.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simmons, LA, Swanberg, JE (2008). Psychosocial work environment and depressive symptoms among US workers: comparing working poor and working non-poor. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Published online 12 December 2008, 10.1007/s00127-008-0479-x.Google ScholarPubMed
Stansfeld, S, Candy, B (2006). Psychosocial work environment and mental health – a meta-analytic review. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health 32, 443462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sverke, M, Hellgren, J, Näswall, K (2002). No security: a meta-analysis and review of job insecurity and its consequences. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 7, 242264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WHO (1993). The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Diagnostic Criteria for Research. WHO: Geneva.Google Scholar