Projects per year
Abstract
Background Previous studies suggest that poor psychosocial job quality is a risk factor for mental health problems, but they use conventional regression analytic methods that cannot rule out reverse causation, unmeasured time-invariant confounding and reporting bias. Methods This study combines two quasi-experimental approaches to improve causal inference by better accounting for these biases: (i) linear fixed effects regression analysis and (ii) linear instrumental variable analysis. We extract 13 annual waves of national cohort data including 13 260 working-age (18-64 years) employees. The exposure variable is self-reported level of psychosocial job quality. The instruments used are two common workplace entitlements. The outcome variable is the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5). We adjust for measured time-varying confounders. Results In the fixed effects regression analysis adjusted for time-varying confounders, a 1-point increase in psychosocial job quality is associated with a 1.28-point improvement in mental health on the MHI-5 scale (95% CI: 1.17, 1.40; P < 0.001). When the fixed effects was combined with the instrumental variable analysis, a 1-point increase psychosocial job quality is related to 1.62-point improvement on the MHI-5 scale (95% CI: .088). Conclusions Our quasi-experimental results provide evidence to confirm job stressors as risk factors for mental ill health using methods that improve causal inference.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 426-434 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Public Health |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2018 |
Keywords
- cohort
- fixed effect regression
- instrumental variable analysis
- job stress
- mental health
- work
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Understanding the Dynamics of Socioeconomic Related Health Inequalities
1/01/15 → 31/12/19
Project: Research