Precarious work increases depression-based disability among male employees.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Precarious employment is a significant occupational health risk.
• Limited understanding exists regarding its link to work-related disability and underlying causes.
• This study investigates the association between employment precariousness and disability pension (DP) for depression, examining gender-specific differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if employment precariousness is associated with receiving disability pension (DP) due to depression.
• To analyze potential gender differences in this association.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from Statistics Finland's Quality of Work Life Surveys (1997-2013) merged with register-based DP data.
• Measured employment precariousness using variables: fear of job loss, poor employability, previous unemployment, low earnings, and temporary contracts.
• Employed Cox proportional hazard models to analyze DP risk in men and women aged 20-60, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• An increased risk of receiving DP was observed with accumulating precarious job features.
• Among men, previous unemployment (HR 2.2) and poor employability (HR 2.4) were significantly associated with higher DP risk for depression.
• No corresponding association was found for women, indicating gendered differences in work disability risk.

Conclusions:

• Employment precariousness may act as a psychological stressor, increasing vulnerability to mental health issues and future disability.
• Work disability risk related to depression exhibits gender-specific patterns.
• Enhancing employability through workplace and policy initiatives can mitigate health risks linked to precarious employment.