[Professional stressors and common mental health disorders: Causal links?]
According to the World Health Organization, depression has become the leading cause of disability in the world, contributing significantly to the burden of health issues especially in the industrialized countries. This is a major public health problem, with potential impact on work climates, productivity at work and the continued existence of the organizations. Some recent studies have examined potential links between professional factors and common mental health disorders, but none have demonstrated a direct causal link.


OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we explored possible links between work-related stressors and common mental health disorders, with the objective of determining priority mental health prevention axes.


METHODS
The study used a life trajectory method. We compared professional stressors and difficulties present in other spheres of life in the last five years between two groups: a group of 29 participants with common mental health disorders during the last five years (depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, pathological gambling), and a group of 29 participants who have not experienced a mental health disorder in the last five years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the participants using a life course analysis method. Each participant was interviewed during two or three meetings of two to three hour duration. Questions regarding difficulties in different spheres of life and mental health were asked. More precisely, data were collected with regards to the presence or absence of mental health disorders in the last five years and the nature of mental health disorders and difficulties. Moreover, we collected data pertaining to the most important positive and negative events in different spheres of life that were present in the last five years, including family life, romantic relationships, social life, academic difficulties, losses and separations, episodes of personal difficulties, financial difficulties as well as protective factors. Regarding professional difficulties present in the last five years, data were collected on different kinds of adversities such as difficulties in finding a job, periods of unemployment, frequent job changes, difficult working conditions, discrimination, difficult working relationships with colleagues and with employers, moral harassment and family-work conflicts.


RESULTS
Participants with common mental health disorders are more concerned about having general professional difficulties at work and about having difficult working relationships with employers. However, difficulties related to other spheres of life do not differentiate the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible that the work environment is linked to common mental health disorders. In particular, having general professional stressors at the work place and having difficult relationships with employers can impact the occurrence of common mental health disorders. Inversely, these stressors at work can be the consequence of a common mental health disorder. Complementary studies are of interest. Professional stressors can constitute an essential part in the occurrence of common mental health disorders. Thus, the workplace seems a priority environment for deploying effective mental health prevention strategies. Moreover, this can be a strategy for organizations to improve the work climate and to increase productivity.
Groupe McGill d'études sur le suicide, institut universitaire en santé mentale Douglas, pavillon Franck B. Common, 6875, boulevard LaSalle, Montréal, Québec H4H 1R3, Canada. Electronic address: carolineviolettenicolas@live.fr.
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Nicolas
Groupe McGill d'études sur le suicide, institut universitaire en santé mentale Douglas, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: nadia.chawky@gmail.com.
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Chawky
Département de psychologie, université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: colette.jourdan@uqtr.ca.
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Jourdan-Ionescu
Département de psychologie, université du Québec à Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: drouin.marc_simon@uqam.ca.
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Drouin
Université du Québec à Rimouski, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: claire_page@uqar.ca.
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Page
Département de psychologie, université du Québec à Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: houlfort.nathalie@uqam.ca.
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Houlfort
Département de psychologie et psychoéducation, université du Québec en Outaouais, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: guy.beauchamp@uqo.ca.
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Beauchamp
Département de psychologie et psychoéducation, groupe McGill d'études sur le suicide, institut universitaire en santé mentale Douglas, université du Québec en Outaouais, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: monique.seguin@uqo.ca.
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Séguin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000073397:Occupational Stress / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
Life events; Mental disorders; Milieu professionnel; Prevention; Prévention; Santé mentale; Stress; Travail; Work; Work environment; Événement de vie