[Job strain, social support and mental health: a study on the male heavy manufacturing workers]

The aim of this study is to explore the influence of work experience on workers' psychological function. Specifically, the researchers will examine the effect of job demand, decision latitude, job strain, and social support at worksite on the mental health status of male heavy manufacturing workers.

By purposive sampling, from October 1994 to March 1995, the present investigators implemented a self-administered questionnaire survey on the workers in southern Taiwan. The Karasek job strain model and its measure were embedded in the questionnaire to evaluate workers' perceptions of their job conditions. In addition, Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) was utilized to evaluate the workers' status of mental health.

Totally, 1,117 workers were selected for this survey. An unviriate analysis showed the younger the workers, the lower their monthly income, and the newer their employment, were more likely to be classified as high risk in mental health status. The workers with more decision latitude and higher social support would be better in mental health status. In addition, it also showed that workers under high job strain were more likely to be in poor mental health status. Result from multivariate logistic regression showed those who served longer, had more decision automony, and had higher social support, were less likely to be in poor mental health status. Instead, those who sustained high job strain were more likely to be in poor mental health status.

The implication from those findings for the implementation of health promotion program. would be raised, and the limitation of this inference would also be discussed.