Interrelationships between job demands, low back pain and depression: A four-way decomposition analysis of direct and indirect effects of job demands through mediation and/or interaction

The Relationship Between Work-Related Stress and Depression: A Scoping Review

Objectives

Work-related stress is highly prevalent. Recent systematic reviews concluded on a significant association between common work-related stress measures and depression. Our scoping review aims to explore whether work-related psychosocial stress is generally associated with depression or depressiveness, the extent and methodology of the primary research undertaken on this topic and to elucidate inconsistencies or gaps in knowledge.

Methods

We searched for literature in Pubmed, PsycInfo and Web of Science including full reports in seven languages published between 1999 and 2022 and applied the PRISMA statement for scoping reviews criteria.

Results

Of 463 primarily identified articles, 125 were retained after abstract and full-text screening. The majority report significant associations between work-related stress and depression. Cross-sectional studies are most prevalent. Sufficient evidence exists only for job strain and effort-reward imbalance. Most studies are from Asia, North America and Europe. The health sector is the most studied. Several research gaps such as the lack of interventional studies were identified.

Conclusion

The consistency of most studies on the significant association between work-related stress and depression is remarkable. More studies are needed to improve evidence and to close research gaps.

Workplace Psychosocial Factors and Their Association With Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

This systematic review examines literature regarding the relationship between workplace psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of work disability, resulting in billions of dollars of financial losses. Evidence suggests that workplace psychosocial factors can lead to the development and progression of MSDs. A data search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) from August 2009 to May 2020 inclusive. Other eligibility criteria included studies published in English, conducted on adults within a workplace setting, conducted in developed economies, and were stability-control longitudinal observational studies. Studies were independently screened for eligibility, using COVIDENCE (software for managing and streamlining systematic reviews) and assessed for quality by multiple authors, using the JBI Evidence synthesis tool. From 6,812 studies, 47 articles were included in the final analysis. The most common MSDs investigated were lower back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and upper extremity symptoms and disorders. Included articles identified that psychosocial workplace factors of support, collaboration, job control, and job demands were statistically significantly associated with risk and progression of MSDs. Review of the articles included in this article supports the theory that MSDs have a multifactorial, complex etiology that includes psychosocial factors. Interventions to enhance psychosocial work environment provide opportunities to reduce the risk of MSDs.

The psychological legacy of past obesity and early mortality: evidence from two longitudinal studies

BACKGROUND

We test a novel 'weight scarring' hypothesis which suggests that past obesity is associated with impairments in current psychological well-being and this increases risk of negative physical health outcomes associated with obesity. Across two nationally representative studies, we tested whether past obesity is associated with current psychological outcomes and whether these psychological outcomes explain the association between past obesity and subsequent early mortality.

METHODS

Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n = 29,047) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (n = 11,998). Past obesity was defined based on maximum lifetime weight in NHANES and the highest weight from past study waves in the HRS. Across both studies, current depressive symptoms were analysed. A set of 10 additional well-being measures were combined to produce an 'index of impaired well-being' in HRS. Subsequent all-cause mortality was examined using National Deaths Index records in NHANES and household interviews in HRS. Linear or logistic regression, Cox proportional hazard regression, and causal mediation models were used.

RESULTS

We found that past obesity was associated with greater current depressive symptoms after controlling for current weight status and in analyses limited to those who were no longer classified as having obesity in NHANES (β = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.22) and HRS (β = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.31). In HRS, past obesity was also associated with a range of current negative psychological outcomes, including an index of impaired psychological well-being (β = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.27). Past obesity was associated with a higher risk of early mortality in both NHANES and HRS (HR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.48 and HR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.50, respectively). Depressive symptoms explained 6% (95% CI: 0.01, 0.10) and 5% (95% CI: 0.01, 0.09) of the association between past obesity and premature mortality in NHANES and HRS, respectively. Impaired psychological well-being partly mediated the association between past obesity and premature mortality by 10% (95% CI: 0.04, 0.16) in HRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that there may be a psychological legacy of past obesity that is associated with raised mortality risk. Ensuring people with obesity receive psychological support even after experiencing weight loss may be important.

Exploring the mediation role of employees' well-being in the relationship between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal pain during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased some psychosocial risks which may aggravate the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and reduced psychological well-being, two leading global occupational health problems.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate whether an employee's psychological well-being mediates the relationship between the psychosocial factors (job strain, work-life balance, and job security) and the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the Indonesian general working population during the pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was employed using an online questionnaire. A total of 406 from 465 respondents were included in the final analysis.

RESULTS

It was found that 73.9% of respondents suffered from upper body part pain, 25.15% from low back pain, and 39.7% reported pain in the lower limb. Process Macro Model 4 analysis showed the significant role of well-being as a mediator in the association between work-life balance and the odds of experiencing the upper body and low back pains. However, neither the direct nor mediating effect on the relationship between job strain or job security and any musculoskeletal pains were observed. These findings suggest that specific psychosocial factors may be more relevant to be investigated in the particular context.

CONCLUSION

The use of a mediation model was able to link work-life balance to musculoskeletal complaints through well-being states in the context of the pandemic. Organizations need to mitigate poor well-being triggered by psychosocial stressors which could affect physical complaints to maintain employee's health and productivity.