Psychosocial working conditions and depressive symptoms among Swedish employees.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate prospective associations between working conditions and depressive symptoms in Swedish men and women.


METHODS
The study was based on SLOSH (N = 5,985), a follow-up of a representative sample of gainfully employed Swedes 16-64 years of age from the Swedish Work Environment Survey 2003. Work demands, decision authority, support and conflicts at work were measured in 2003. Depressive symptoms were recorded in 2006 by a short version of the depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). Linear regression analyses were performed.


RESULTS
After adjusting for an indicator of previous depressive symptoms and covariates, conflicts with fellow workers in men were associated with depressive symptoms, whereas demands (men), support from fellow workers (women), and decision authority predicted lower scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The study supports the theory that decision authority, support and conflicts at work are predictive of depressive symptoms in the general Swedish working population.
Magnusson Hanson
Linda L
LL
Work Organisation and Health, Stress Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. linda.hanson@stressforskning.su.se
Theorell
Töres
T
Bech
Per
P
Rugulies
Reiner
R
Burr
Hermann
H
Hyde
Martin
M
Oxenstierna
Gabriel
G
Westerlund
Hugo
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016272:Occupational Health; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011590:Psychology, Industrial; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult