title: Mental health effects of changes in psychosocial work characteristics: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore a possible causal relationship between psychosocial work characteristics and mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using longitudinal data from the Maastricht Cohort Study on "Fatigue at Work" (n = 2332), the effects of changes in job demands and decision latitude on subsequent changes in need for recovery and prolonged fatigue were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increasing job demands are a significant predictor of a subsequent increase in need for recovery (beta = 0.063) and prolonged fatigue (beta = 0.057). An increase in decision latitude predicted a subsequent decrease in need for recovery (beta = -0.078) and prolonged fatigue (beta = -0.063). After adjusting for changes in other work characteristics, the effects on changes in prolonged fatigue were no longer significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support a possible causal relationship between work characteristics and mental health and can be used for designing effective prevention and intervention strategies.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. lore.deraeve@epid.unimaas.nl
authors: Lore
authors: L
authors: De Raeve
authors: Rineke M
authors: RM
authors: Vasse
authors: Nicole W H
authors: NW
authors: Jansen
authors: Piet A
authors: PA
authors: van den Brandt
authors: Ijmert
authors: I
authors: Kant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011584:Psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*