Association between upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and mental health status in office workers

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) can lead to potential adverse consequences for individuals and their organizations, and in various research, its relationship to physical and mental health of workforce has been studied.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of MSDs of upper extremities among office workers and its association with mental health status.

In this cross sectional study, 1488 out of 1630 office workers completed the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Ques-tionnaire and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) (response rate = 91.3%).

Upper extremity MSDs were reported in 410 (27.5%) office workers, including 269 (18.1%) shoulder, 79 (5.3%) elbow and 207 (13.9%) hand/wrist symptoms. Based on GHQ-28, 254 (17.1%) participants were found to be at risk of developing a psychiatric disorder that were observed in 26.7% of workers with MSDs symptoms. Shoulder (p < 0.001), elbow (p < 0.001) and hand/wrist (p < 0.001) MSDs were associated with poor mental health. Among the four GHQ-28 subscales (somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression), anxiety/insomnia was strongly correlated with shoulders (P < 0.001), elbows (P = 0.002), and hands/wrists (P < 0.001) symptoms.

Office workers with upper extremity MSDs were more likely to be experiencing mental distress. This indicates a need for greater emphasis on preventive programs at workplace to support their psychological well-being.