Job strain, long work hours, and suicidal ideation in US workers: a longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychiatry
• Sociology

Background:

• Workplace psychosocial stressors are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to mental health outcomes.
• Understanding the longitudinal impact of these stressors is crucial for developing effective workplace interventions.
• Previous research has highlighted associations between work stress and mental health, but longitudinal data on suicidal ideation is less common.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the longitudinal association between chronic psychosocial work stressors and suicidal ideation in a working population.
• To identify specific work-related factors that predict the development of suicidal ideation over time.
• To inform strategies for suicide prevention in occupational settings.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 578 workers from the Midlife Development in the United States II study, with baseline (2004-2006) and follow-up (2004-2009) data.
• Assessment of chronic psychosocial work stressors including job control, job demands, job strain, supervisor/coworker support, job insecurity, and work hours.
• Statistical modeling to control for demographic factors, baseline suicidal ideation, and other work stressors.

Main Results:

• Approximately 11% of workers reported suicidal ideation at follow-up; 3% reported moderate/severe ideation.
• Job strain (low control, high demands) and low skill discretion were associated with overall suicidal ideation.
• After controlling for baseline ideation, job strain (ORs 3.77-4.29) and long work hours (>40 hours/week, OR 4.06) were significantly associated with moderate/severe suicidal ideation.

Conclusions:

• Job strain and long work hours are significant longitudinal predictors of moderate/severe suicidal ideation in the working population.
• Strategies to increase job control and optimize work demands, including limiting work hours to 40/week or less, may be vital for suicide prevention.
• These findings underscore the importance of addressing workplace psychosocial factors to protect worker mental health and prevent suicide.