Associations Between Work-Related Factors and Psychological Distress Among Construction Workers
Jack T Dennerlein1, Mara Eyllon, Suzanne Garverich
1Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Dennerlein and Weinstein); Center for Work, Health, and Well-being, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Dennerlein and Dr Manjourides); Behavioral Health Department, Practice Research Network, Reliant Medical Group, Worcester, Massachusetts (Dr Eyllon); Department of Health Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Eyllon, Dr Manjourides, and Dr Lincoln); Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Eyllon, Garverich, and Dr Lincoln); Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (Dr Vallas and Dr Lincoln).
Objective:
Identify work-related factors associated with the mental health and well-being of construction workers.
Methods:
We completed eight key informant interviews, six worker focus groups, and a survey, informed by the interviews and focus groups, of 259 construction workers on five construction sites. Negative binomial regressions examined associations between psychological distress and work-related factors including safety climate, work-to-family conflict, psychological demands, social support, harassment, and job security.
Results:
Three themes emerged from the interviews and focus groups, job demands and structure, social support and workplace relations, and job precarity. From the survey higher psychological demands, higher work-to-family conflict, lower supervisor support, higher discrimination, and higher likelihood of losing a job were associated with higher psychological distress. When combined into a single model job demands and work-to-family conflict remained significant.
Conclusions:
Work-related factors were associated with high levels of distress.
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