title: Changes in psychosocial and physical working conditions and common mental disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies on changes in working conditions and mental health are few and have typically focused only on psychosocial working conditions. We assessed the impact of changes in both psychosocial and physical working conditions on common mental disorders (CMDs) in a cohort of midlife and older employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeat data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study, which is a cohort study on employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (aged 40-60 years at baseline). Changes in working conditions were assessed between Phase 1 (2000-2002) and Phase 2 (2007). CMD was assessed at Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 (2012) using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. In total, 4946 participants (82% women) who were still employed at Phase 2 were available for the analyses. Logistic regression analyses using generalized estimating equations were conducted to examine the association between changes in working conditions and the likelihood of CMD. ORs and their 95% CIs were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for sex, age, marital status, health behaviours and obesity; increased and repeated exposure to low job control, high job demands and repetitive movements and repeated exposure to awkward postures and rotation of back were associated with a higher likelihood of CMD at Phases 1-3. Fully adjusted ORs ranged from 1.27 to 2.39 for psychosocial, and from 1.18 to 1.29 for physical working conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repeated and increased exposures to several adverse psychosocial and physical working conditions are associated with a higher likelihood of CMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Faculty in Wroclaw, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wroclaw, Poland.|UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health (Northern Ireland), Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kouvonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mänty
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lallukka
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahelma
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Ossi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rahkonen