The Association between Work-Life Conflict and Mental Health-A Cohort Study
Lotte Thorup1, Christine Leonhard Birk Sørensen, Karin Biering
1From the Department of Occupational Medicine, University Research Clinic, Goedstrup Hospital Herning, Denmark (L.T., C.L.B.S., K.B.); and. Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (K.B).
Objective:
Mental health problems are increasing worldwide, and research has shown that it can be affected by work-life conflict (WLC). The aim of the present study is to examine the association between WLC and both stress and depressive symptoms in early adulthood.
Methods:
A cross-sectional and a 4-year follow-up study was conducted using register data and questionnaire data from The West Jutland Cohort Study (VestLiv), Denmark. A total of 1296 individuals (age 28) were included in 2017, and 679 were included in 2021. Validated scales were used to measure both WLC, stress, and depressive symptoms. Linear and logistic regression were performed.
Results:
An association was found between WLC and both stress and depressive symptoms in both genders.
Conclusions:
It is relevant to consider WLC a contributing factor for mental health of individuals in today's workforce.
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