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Cited by 534Workplace Health and Well-beingJob Satisfaction and Organizational BehaviorEmployment and Welfare Studies

The relationships between work characteristics and mental health: examining normal, reversed and reciprocal relationships in a 4-wave study

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De Lange *, Annet H., Taris, Toon W., Kompier, Michiel A. J., Houtman, Irene L. D., Bongers, Paulien M.·2004·Work & Stress
DOI 10.1080/02678370412331270860
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Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the causal relationships between job demands, job control and supervisor support on the one hand and mental health on the other. Whereas we assumed that work characteristics affect mental health, we also examined reversed causal relationships (mental health influences work characteristics). Further, the topic of the appropriate time lag for testing causal relationships was addressed. Our hypotheses were tested in a 4-wave study among a heterogeneous sample of 668 Dutch employees using structural equation modelling. The results provide evidence for reciprocal causal relationships between the work characteristics and mental health, although the effects of work characteristics on well-being were causally predominant. The best model fit was found for a 1-year time lag. Compared to earlier—predominantly cross-sectional—results, the present study presents a stronger case for the effects of work characteristics on the development of strain. The results also emphasize the need for a dynamic view of the relationship between work and health; the one-directional viewpoint in many work stress models does not seem to fully capture the relations between work characteristics and well-being.

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Crossref · 10.1080/02678370412331270860

Cites

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  • Studies almost unanimously report a consistent link between high job demands and emotional exhaustion and depressive feelings.

    “Studies almost unanimously report a consistent link between high job demands and emotional exhaustion and depressive feelings (e.g.De Lange et al., 2004).”

    From Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students (2017) · cites this paper as De Lange et al., 2004

    The Correlational analyses section reports that higher job demands predicted increases in both depression and emotional exhaustion over time. The paper therefore supports the link, but its findings do not establish the claim that studies report it almost unanimously; the Introduction describes mixed support for the broader high-strain hypothesis. The supplied passages give no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Most, but not all, occupational health studies find significant emotional costs when job control is low.

    “Most, but not all, occupational health studies find significant emotional costs when job control is low (De Lange et al., 2004;Vanroelen et al., 2009).”

    From Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students (2017) · cites this paper as De Lange et al., 2004

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says studies of high-strain jobs have yielded mixed support for adverse health effects, but it does not say most studies find significant effects or isolate low job control from high demands and low support. The Correlational analyses section (page unavailable) links greater job control to greater subsequent job satisfaction, not to lower depression or emotional exhaustion. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • Low support at work affects levels of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, job tension and job satisfaction.

    “Low support at work has long been found to affect levels of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, job tension and job satisfaction (e.g.De Lange et al., 2004;Vanroelen et al., 2009).”

    From Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students (2017) · cites this paper as De Lange et al., 2004

    The Correlational analyses section (page unavailable) reports that greater supervisor support was associated with lower emotional exhaustion over time. It does not report that support affected anxiety or job tension; for job satisfaction, the reported direction runs from satisfaction to later supervisor support, not the reverse. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. [3]3. BAKKER, A. B., SCHAUFELI, W. B., SIXMA, H. J., BOSVELD, W., & VAN DIERENDONCK, D. (2000). Patient demands, lack of reciprocity and burnout: A five-year longitudinal study among general practitioners. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 21 , 425 Á/441.
  2. [14]14. DE LANGE, A. H., TARIS, T. W., KOMPIER, M. A. J., HOUTMAN, I. L. D., & BONGERS, P. M. (in press). How does mental health affect work characteristics? A longitudinal test of eight mechanisms. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health .
  3. [18]18. FRESE, M. (1984). Job transitions, occupational socialisation and strain. In V. Allen & E. van de Vliert (Eds.), Role Transitions (pp. 00 Á/00). New York: Plenum Press.
  4. [28]28. KASL, S. V. (1978). Epidemiological contributions to the study of work stress. In C. L. Cooper & R. Payne (Eds.), Stress at Work (pp. 3 Á/48). New York: Wiley.
  5. [40]40. ROTHMAN, K. J. & GREENLAND, S. (1998). Modern Epidemiology . Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott- Raven.
  6. [47]47. SPECTOR, P. E., ZAPF, D., CHEN, P. Y., & FRESE, M. (2000). Why negative affectivity should not be controlled in job stress: Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 21 , 97Á/95.
  7. [50]50. TARIS, T. W., BOK, I. A., & CALJE ´, D. G. (1998). On the relation between job characteristics and depression: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Stress Management , 5 , 157 Á/167.

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Authors
De Lange *, A. H., Taris, T. W., Kompier, M. A. J., Houtman, I. L. D., & Bongers, P. M.
Affiliations
  • Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
  • Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (NL)
ORCID
Venue
Work & Stress
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2004-04
Volume
18
Issue
2
Pages
149-166
ISSN
  • 0267-8373 (ISSN-L)
  • 1464-5335
DOI
10.1080/02678370412331270860
OpenAlex
W1999424113
Cited by
534
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 30
FWCI
40.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Work & Stress (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • TNO Repository (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • VU Research Portal (submittedVersion)
  • Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale
  • Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid
  • Universiteit van Amsterdam
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Employment and Welfare Studies
Keywords
job demands, job control, supervisor support, mental health, reciprocal causation, job characteristics, occupational stress, well-being

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