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Pauls C, Fleischmann M, Klein M, Bouwhuis S, Bosmans JE. Subjective household poverty as a moderator for the association between employment precariousness and mental health across five european welfare state types. SSM Popul Health 2024; 27:101696. [PMID: 39055643 PMCID: PMC11269925 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives To create better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between employment precariousness (EP) and mental health by considering household poverty as a moderator while stratifying for gender across welfare state types (WSTs): Scandinavian, South European, Central- and East European, Bismarckian and Anglo-Saxon. Methods Data from the sixth wave of the European Working Conditions Survey (N = 18,725) was used. The Employment Precariousness Scale was used to assess EP on a continuous scale. Mental health was measured using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. A binary variable for subjective household poverty was created. We estimated gender-stratified, multi-level models with a random intercept at country-level for the association between EP and mental health, with an interaction term between EP and subjective household poverty, for each WST separately. Models were adjusted for age, education, having a partner and having children under age 18 in the household. Results In all WSTs, among men as well as women, we found a negative relation between EP and mental health. Among women, this relation was not moderated by household poverty. Among men in the Anglo-Saxon WST, the negative relation between EP and mental health was stronger among employees that reported household poverty compared to those who did not report household poverty. Conclusions Evidence of a moderating effect of household poverty on the association between EP and mental health was only found amongst men in the Anglo-Saxon WSTs and the combined full sample. Other factors that might affect the association between EP and mental health should be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceciel Pauls
- Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maria Fleischmann
- Hogeschool Rotterdam, Lectoraar Verloskunde en Geboortezorg, Netherlands
| | - Michel Klein
- Department of Computer Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Stef Bouwhuis
- Department of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Judith E. Bosmans
- Department of Health Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Perri M, O'Campo P, Gill P, Gunn V, Ma RW, Buhariwala P, Rasoulian E, Lewchuk W, Baron S, Bodin T, Muntaner C. Precarious work on the rise. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:2074. [PMID: 39085910 PMCID: PMC11293192 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19363-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Precarious employment (PE) is non-standard employment with uncertain and unstable contract duration, low wages, and limited labour protections and rights. Research has associated PE with workers' poor mental health and well-being; however, this association has been studied primarily using quantitative methods. This qualitative study seeks to examine the mechanisms between PE and mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, it aims to address: (Benach J, Muntaner C. Precarious employment and health: developing a research agenda. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2007;61(4):276.) How do PE and working conditions impact the mental well-being of workers and members of their close families or households?; and (Kreshpaj B, Orellana C, Burström B, Davis L, Hemmingsson T, Johansson G, et al. What is precarious employment? A systematic review of definitions and operationalizations from quantitative and qualitative studies. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2020;46(3):235-47.) How has the COVID-19 pandemic shaped these relationships? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of 40 individuals aged 25-55 engaged in PE during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic or whose employment was terminated due to the pandemic. Results showed that PE amplified mental health symptoms and illnesses for workers and their families. These experiences were described as chronic, where impacts were exerted on precariously employed workers through systemic discrimination and racism, colonialism, workplace hierarchies, and gendered ideologies. PE negatively impacted mental health through emotional stress about employment and income instability, insecurity, and loss; added pressure for households where both partners are engaged in PE; impacted ability to maintain or improve overall health and well-being; and barriers to social connectedness. Overall, this study characterizes multiple dimensions of PE and the consequences they have on the mental health of workers and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Perri
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patricia O'Campo
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Paneet Gill
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Virginia Gunn
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cape Breton University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rachel W Ma
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Pearl Buhariwala
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elham Rasoulian
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wayne Lewchuk
- Department of Economics and School of Labour Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sherry Baron
- Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, Queens, USA
| | - Theo Bodin
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm Region, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carles Muntaner
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg School of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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3
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Ervin J, Taouk Y, Hewitt B, King T. The gendered associations between precarious employment and mental health in working-age Australians: A longitudinal analysis using 16 waves of the HILDA survey. Soc Sci Med 2023; 339:116382. [PMID: 37977018 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Unemployment and precarious employment (PE) are routinely found to be associated with poorer mental health. Importantly, women are over-represented in PE (due to disproportionate unpaid care demands), yet a gender lens has been lacking in much of the extant literature. This study addresses several gaps by reconsidering how PE can be conceptualised from a gender perspective and examining the impact of differing levels of multidimensional PE on the mental health of working-age Australians. Utilising sixteen annual waves (2005-2020) of the HILDA survey, this longitudinal study employed mixed-effects analysis and Mundlak modelling to examine the association between PE and mental health in working-age (25-64yrs) adults. Mental health was assessed using the MHI-5 scale. A multidimensional PE scale (based on objective and subjective indicators) was developed and three levels of precarity were modelled. 19,442 participants were included in the analyses and all models were stratified by gender. We found women experience greater exposure to PE in Australia, and our results showed a ubiquitously strong and negative association between PE and mental health in both women and men, across all levels of PE, with a dose dependent association observed with increasing PE. Additional adjustment for prior mental health slightly attenuated effect sizes, but the strength and direction of all associations were unchanged. This study provides longitudinal evidence of the detrimental impact of PE on the mental health of working age Australians, highlighting the importance of labour regulations and employment policies to minimize PE for all adults. However, given women's differential exposure to PE, this study also reinforces the urgent need for gender-sensitive social policies to address continued inequity in the division of unpaid household labour to promote a more equitable paid labour market into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Ervin
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Yamna Taouk
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Belinda Hewitt
- School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tania King
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Mai QD, Song L, Donnelly R. Precarious Employment and Well-Being: Insights from the COVID-19 Pandemic. WORK AND OCCUPATIONS 2023; 50:3-21. [PMID: 38603256 PMCID: PMC9726637 DOI: 10.1177/07308884221143063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
While precarious employment is not a new concept, it has been brought to the center of scholarly and public discourse worldwide by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. This essay delineates how precarious employment shapes well-being and situates that relationship in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay also provides an overview of how the nine articles boldly investigate how these two layers of global risk-precarious employment and the pandemic-interact to shape individuals' well-being. In addition to advancing theoretical and empirical knowledge by analyzing timely data from diverse sources and populations, these articles call for more efforts on worker protection reforms and government financial support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan D Mai
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Lijun Song
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Jaramillo NR, Trillos CE, Julià M. The measure of precarious employment and its impact on the mental health of workers: A systematic review 2007–2020. Work 2022; 73:639-650. [DOI: 10.3233/wor-210064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Precarious employment conditions can influence the worker’s mental health; however, there is no consensus regarding the definition of precarious employment or the way it is measured. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to identify existing research of the conceptual framework, the ways to measure precarious employment and its impact on the mental health of workers. METHODS: A systematic review with the strategic search for observational-empirical and qualitative studies published between 2007 and 2020 in Embase, Scopus and PubMed, full text, in English and Spanish. Studies were selected and excluded, according to eligibility criteria. Two independent reviewers and one arbitrator evaluated the quality of selected papers with the STROBE guidelines for observational studies and SRQR for qualitative ones. RESULTS: 408 studies were obtained, 21 met inclusion criteria, in 14 studies precarious employment was measured one-dimensionally. Of these, 11 with the dimension of temporality and three with insecurity. Four studies it was measured in a multidimensional way, with the Employment Precariousness Scale (EPRES) and in three qualitative designs, with different categories of analysis. Mental health was measured with SF-36 (n = 4), GHQ-12 (n = 3) and CES-D (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: The concept of precarious employment requires a multidimensional construct, although the tendency to measure precarious employment is one-dimensional. Regardless of how is measured, this has a negative impact on the mental health of workers. The outcomes related to this social determinant included depression, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, stress, and suicidal thoughts. Youths, women, people with low levels of education and immigrants are the groups that show the major precariousness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mireia Julià
- Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment, and Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), Barcelona, Spain
- Mar Nursing School, Parc de Salut Mar, Universitat Pompeu Fabra-Affiliated, Barcelona, Spain
- Social Determinants and Health Education Research Group, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
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Pförtner TK, Demirer I. How Working Conditions, Socioeconomic Insecurity, and Behavior-Related Factors Mediate the Association Between Working Poverty and Health in Germany. Int J Public Health 2022; 67:1604555. [PMID: 35645704 PMCID: PMC9130479 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Aims of this study were to Schmitt (Advances in Life Course Research, 2021, 47: 100402) analyze the association of working poverty with mental and physical health-related quality of life and (Wang and Ford, J Organ Behav, 2020, 41 (9): 895-914) to explain these associations by behavior-related factors (heavy drinking, smoking status, body mass index), socioeconomic insecurity (deprivation in living standards, economic worries), and mental working conditions (effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity). Methods: A total of 11,500 employees aged 17-67 from the German Socioeconomic Panel (2014, 2015, and 2016) were used, and mediation analyses with inverse odds weighting stratified by gender were conducted. Results: Working poverty was significantly associated with both outcomes for both genders. Deprivation in living standards contributed the most to differences in mental health, with a mediated proportion of 60.3% (men) and 44.4% (women). Differences in physical health were significantly mediated by inadequate living standards in women, with a mediated proportion of 73.7%, whereas none of the mediators considered were significant in men. Conclusion: Indicators of socioeconomic insecurity contributed most to the association of working poverty with mental and physical health. Results highlight the relevance of policy initiatives to strengthen the socioeconomic living conditions of the working poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo-Kolja Pförtner
- Research Methods Division, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science, Medical Faculty and Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ibrahim Demirer
- Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science, Medical Faculty and Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Oh JW, Park JY, Lee S. Association between employment stability and depression as moderated by gender among South Korean employees. J Affect Disord 2022; 298:308-315. [PMID: 34752806 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research in Asian cultures regarding the association between employment status and health has been limited. The current study investigated the association between depression and employment status in Korea, moderated by gender. METHODS Data from the 2014, 2016, and 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were analysed. In total, 11,157 participants aged ≥ 19 years responded to the survey. The Korean version of the PHQ-9 was utilised in addition to questions assessing employment status. RESULTS Precarious employment indicated a greater prevalence of depression in comparison to permanent employment (14.9% vs 10.8%, p < 0.001; 22.6% vs 20.2%, p < 0.001). Precariously employed men were 1.40 times more likely to have depression (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR): 1.40; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.15-1.70; p= 0.001) while no such association existed among women (adjusted OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.89-1.27; p= 0.493). The subgroup analyses revealed that men working day shifts in a precarious employment were 1.48 times more likely to be depressed than those with permanent employment. In contrast, precarious employed women working night shifts were 2.13 times more likely to be depressed than those permanently employed counterparts. LIMITATIONS Current research did not investigate the causality of the variables hence was unable to identify whether employment instability from precarious engagements preceded the onset of depression. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest gender can independently modify the relationship between employment stability and depression, as well as in association with additional variables - including work shift type and income.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Won Oh
- Department of Psychiatry, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea; Mind Health Clinic, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yongin, Korea
| | - Jin Young Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea; Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - San Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea; Mind Health Clinic, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yongin, Korea; Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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Pyöriä P, Ojala S, Nätti J. Precarious work increases depression-based disability among male employees. Eur J Public Health 2021; 31:1223-1230. [PMID: 34254115 PMCID: PMC8643409 DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precarious employment is a potent occupational health risk, but little is known about its association with work-related disability and its causes. This study analyzes whether employment precariousness is associated with receiving disability pension (DP) due to depression and whether this differs according to gender. METHODS Statistics Finland's Quality of Work Life Surveys (1997, 2003, 2008 and 2013) were merged with register-based DP data obtained from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. The survey material was used to measure employment precariousness using five variables: fear of job loss, poor employability prospects, previous unemployment, low earnings and temporary contracts. We followed 20-60-year-old employees until 2016 and studied Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) for receiving DP among women and men, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, working conditions and health at baseline. RESULTS The overall risk of receiving DP tended to increase as precarious job features accumulated. Among men, a higher risk of receiving DP due to depression was associated with previous unemployment [HR 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-4.2] and poor employability (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.7), whereas no corresponding association was found among women. CONCLUSIONS Employment precariousness may reflect a psychological stress mechanism that predisposes the individual to mental health problems, predicting future disability. Work disability risk shows gendered differences depending on the cause of DP. Promoting employability at workplace and policy levels could offset the health risks associated with precariousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasi Pyöriä
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Satu Ojala
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jouko Nätti
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Piwowar-Sulej K, Bąk-Grabowska D. The Impact of Mandate Contract and Self-Employment on Workers' Health-Evidence from Poland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:3138. [PMID: 33803666 PMCID: PMC8002841 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18063138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to analyze the correlations between two clearly defined forms of non-standard employment (self-employment and mandate contract) and workers' health. The study also addressed such variables as gender, age, length of service, and the reason for employment (voluntary vs. non-voluntary). The research was carried out in Poland in 2020 using the CATI method (a telephone interviewing technique), and it covered a sample of 200 workers (100 self-employed and 100 working under a mandate contract). Most of the respondents declared that their form of employment did not affect their health. However, the statistical analysis showed significant differences in health status between the self-employed and those working on a mandate contract. Self-employed respondents experienced mental health impacts more often, whereas those working under a mandate contract more frequently declared that their physical health was affected. The length of service was only important for mental health, having a negative impact on it. The respondents' age and gender turned out to be statistically insignificant, which is in contradiction to many previous research findings. The inability to choose one's form of employment resulted in worse physical health. These findings demonstrate the importance of certain variables that were not prioritized in previous studies and emphasize the need to clearly define what non-standard and precarious forms of employment are, as well as revealing new correlations between the studied categories and providing directions for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej
- Department of Labor Capital and Innovation, Faculty of Management, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Komandorska St. 118/120, 53-345 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Dominika Bąk-Grabowska
- Department of Economics and Organization of Enterprise, Faculty of Management, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Komandorska St. 118/120, 53-345 Wrocław, Poland;
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