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Work Experience and Mental Health from Adolescence to Mid-Life
Jeremy Staff1, Jeylan T Mortimer2
1Department of Sociology and Criminology, Pennsylvania State University.
Social Forces; a Scientific Medium of Social Study and Interpretation
|September 23, 2024
Summary
Work experiences significantly impact mental health, including mastery, depressive affect, and self-esteem. Longitudinal data show these psychological changes are not due to stable individual traits but are responsive to evolving work environments.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Scholarly interest exists regarding psychological differences across professions.
- Early assumptions linked job experiences to psychological development, with contemporary focus on mental health.
- Individual selection processes, based on prior characteristics, may explain work-related psychological variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of work status, hours, and quality (intrinsic/extrinsic) on mental health.
- To examine how work experiences affect mental health across different career stages.
- To determine if psychological dimensions like mastery, depressive affect, and self-esteem change due to employment and job experiences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 11 waves of longitudinal data from 9th-grade students followed to age 45-46.
- Employed a fixed effects modeling strategy to analyze changes in psychological dimensions.
- Examined key psychological indicators: mastery, depressive affect, and self-esteem.
Main Results:
- Observed psychological differences linked to employment and work quality are not attributable to stable individual proclivities.
- Mental health indicators demonstrated responsiveness to changing work experiences.
- The study controlled for selection effects, highlighting the impact of work itself.
Conclusions:
- Mental health is malleable and responsive to work experiences throughout the lifespan, from adolescence to mid-life.
- Work experiences, not just employment status, are crucial determinants of psychological well-being.
- Findings challenge the notion that psychological differences are solely due to pre-existing traits, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between work and mental health.
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