title: Are Occupational Complexity and Socioeconomic Position Related to Psychological Distress 20 Years Later?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess occupational complexity in midlife in relation to psychological distress in older adulthood (69+ years) and explore the role of socioeconomic position.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline data from the Swedish Level of Living Survey and follow-up data from the Swedish Longitudinal Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old were combined, resulting in 20+ years of follow-up. Data were analyzed using ordered logistic regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher occupational complexity was associated with less psychological distress 20 years later adjusted for age, sex, follow-up year, hours worked the year before baseline, and psychological distress at baseline. Higher socioeconomic position yielded the same pattern of results. Socioeconomic position partially accounted for the association between occupational complexity and psychological distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With social gradient not easily amenable to modification, efforts to increase engagement at work may offer a viable option to attenuate the influence of work environment on psychological distress later in life.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden Stockholm University, Sweden alexander.darin.mattsson@ki.se.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darin-Mattsson
authors.affiliation: School af Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andel
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden Stockholm University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fors
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden Stockholm University, Sweden Jönköping University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ingemar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kåreholt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: occupational complexity; old age; population based; psychological distress; socioeconomic position