Association of work environment with stress and depression among Japanese workers

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies that investigated the effect of a wide range of work environmental factors on stress and depression in Japan. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of work environment factors with stress and depression among workers in Japan. METHODS: We conducted questionnaire surveys of workers that mainly engage in desk work in Japan. Stress was assessed through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), depression through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and work environment through physical and psychological workplace environment questionnaires. Workers were divided into low and high stress groups based on PSS score (median split), and divided into non-depressed and depressed groups based on their PHQ-9 score (< 5, and ≥5); these groups were then compared with their working environment. In addition, a multiple regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 210 subjects. Multiple regression analysis showed that “Ability to work at one’s own pace” and “Ability to apply personal viewpoint to work,” etc., had effect on stress, while “Workplace harassment” and “Support from colleagues,” etc., had effect on depression. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that stress and depression in Japanese workers are related to factors such as job demands, control of work, workplace harassment, and psychological safety.

Depressive Symptoms and Associated Factors among Employees in Public Utility Places of Zhejiang Province, China

“…Valid data were described and analysed by using frequencies and percentages. We transformed the variables into the classification grades according to the principles described in the Methods section and then performed binary logistic regression analysis on the classification variables [6,9]. In the regression analysis, the dependent variable was depressive symptoms, and others, including sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, psychosocial factors, symptoms of different systems (ocular, respiratory, dermal, and general), and performance, were the independent variables.…”

“…The PHQ-9 has been reported to be a valid measure of depressive symptoms, with scores below 5 almost always signifying the absence of depressive disorder. Following previous papers [9,[27][28][29][30], the cut-off point for the objective variable, namely the PHQ-9 score, was 5 points in this study. Cronbach's alpha was 0.963, and the factor loadings ranged between 0.675 and 0.821.…”

“…Some are only concerned about the impact of physical health, while others focus only on emotional disorders or work performance [6][7][8]. Less research has been conducted on all three factors on employees simultaneously in China compared to in developed countries [9]. Psychological health problems may seem silent, but they can gradually damage physical health, eventually leading to a significant decrease in productivity [10].…”

Martha Rogers’ science of unitary human beings in relation to workers health and well-being: A scoping review

“…Workers' health and well-being at work are growing topics in contemporary research, but more knowledge is needed. The contents of and interactions in working life are crucial for workers' health and well-being [1][2][3][4]. Martha Rogers' science of unitary human beings assumes that individuals are evolving beings, integral with their environment, which affects their health and well-being [5].…”

“…Working life is defined as the part of an individual's life when they "do a job or are at work" [6]. This involves for example having daily routines, regular income [1], and opportunities for development [3]. A significant part of working life is the work environment, which can be defined as the settings, situations, conditions, and circumstances under which people work, according to a conceptual review by Oludeyi [7].…”