title: Is there a two-way relationship between cynicism and job strain? Evidence from a prospective population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the bidirectional relationship between job strain and cynicism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample was obtained from the Young Finns study and comprised 757 participants (399 women, 53%). The bidirectional association between cynicism and job strain over a 6-year-follow-up was examined with a cross-lagged structural equation model, controlling for a number of demographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High job strain (β = 0.08; P = 0.007) was associated with higher baseline-adjusted cynicism 6 years later. Nevertheless, cynicism was not associated with baseline-adjusted job strain. The additional analysis showed that cynicism mediated 21.5% of the relationship between job strain and depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perceptions of having a highly strenuous job may elicit mistrustful and cynical attitudes in employees, which in turn may lead to mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: From IBS (Ms Törnroos, Dr Elovainio, Dr Keltikangas-Järvinen, Dr Hintsa, Dr Pulkki-Råback, Dr Hakulinen, Dr Merjonen, Dr Kivimäki, and Dr Hintsanen), Unit of Personality, Work and Health Psychology, University of Helsinki; National Institute for Health and Welfare (Dr Elovainio); Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Dr Pulkki-Råback), Work and Mental Health Unit, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Biological Psychology (Dr Merjonen), VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Karolinska Institutet (Dr Theorell); Stress Research Institute (Dr Theorell), University of Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (Dr Kivimäki), University College London, United Kingdom; Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine (Dr Raitakari), University of Turku; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine (Dr Raitakari), Turku University Hospital; and Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (Dr Hintsanen), University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Törnroos
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elovainio
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keltikangas-Järvinen
authors.forename: Taina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hintsa
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pulkki-Råback
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hakulinen
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merjonen
authors.forename: Töres
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theorell
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kivimäki
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
authors.forename: Mirka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hintsanen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires