Contribution of non-work and work-related risk factors to the association between income and mental disorders in a working population: the Health 2000 Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the contribution of non-work and work factors to the association between income and DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders in a working population.


METHODS
A representative sample of the Finnish working population aged 30-64 (1667 men, 1707 women) in 2000-2001 responded to a survey questionnaire on non-work factors (marital status, housing conditions, non-work social support, violence victimisation, smoking, physical symptoms), work factors (job demands, job control, social support at work, educational prospects, job insecurity) and household income. Somatic health was examined in a standard health examination. The 12-month prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders was examined with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.


RESULTS
The risk of having a depressive or anxiety disorder was 2.8 times higher in the low-income group than in the high-income group among men and 2.0 times higher among women. For men, non-work and work factors explained 20% and 31% of this association, respectively. For women, the corresponding figures were 65% and 23%.


CONCLUSIONS
Low income is associated with frequent mental disorders among a working population. In particular, work factors among men and non-work factors among women contribute to the income differences in mental health.
Virtanen
M
M
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 aA, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland. marianna.virtanen@ttl.fi
Koskinen
S
S
Kivimäki
M
M
Honkonen
T
T
Vahtera
J
J
Ahola
K
K
Lönnqvist
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014478:Unemployment; D014754:Violence