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Cited by 919Workplace Health and Well-beingEmployment and Welfare StudiesOccupational Health and Burnout

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 41 of the 41 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Psychosocial factors at work and risk of depression: a systematic review of the epidemiological evidence

Bonde, J P E·2008·Occupational and Environmental Medicine
DOI 10.1136/oem.2007.038430
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Abstract

Objectives: Major depression is a leading cause of psychiatric morbidity and may be influenced by psychosocial factors in the workplace, although evidence so far remains circumstantial. This paper reviews follow-up studies addressing the risk of major depression and depressive symptoms relative to psychosocial stressors in the working environment and evaluates the evidence for causality. Method: Follow-up studies were identified by a systematic Medline search combining search terms for the outcome and measures of job-related psychosocial factors. The quality of the studies was evaluated using 22 criteria related to their potential for bias and confounding. Results: Sixteen company or population-based studies including some 63 000 employees were identified. Validated multi-item scales were used to measure perceived psychosocial stressors in most of the studies. Major depression was defined by clinical criteria in seven studies and by symptom scales in another seven. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 13 years. The prevalence of depressive disorder varied substantially, suggesting a high degree of study heterogeneity. The adjusted relative risk for onset of a major depressive episode according to job stressors ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 in 44 of 61 reported associations with various psychosocial factor dimensions. Associations were strongest and most consistent for job strain defined as high demand and low decision latitude among men. Most studies shared common limitations such as lack of independent measures of exposure and outcome and potential confounding. Although a meta-analysis would technically be possible, heterogeneity across studies evidenced by variation in the prevalence of depression made this unfeasible. Conclusion: This review provides consistent findings that perception of adverse psychosocial factors in the workplace is related to an elevated risk of subsequent depressive symptoms or major depressive episode; however, methodological limitations preclude causal inference. Studies implementing objective measures of job stressors or independent outcome ascertainment are warranted.

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  1. Lepore SJ . Measurement of chronic stressors. In: Cohen S Kessler R C Gordon L U , eds. Measuring stress. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997:102–20.

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Metadata

Authors
Bonde, J. P. E.
Affiliations
Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
Corresponding author
Bonde, J P E
ORCID
Bonde, J P E
Venue
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2008-04-16
Volume
65
Issue
7
Pages
438-445
ISSN
  • 0007-1072 (ISSN-L)
  • 1351-0711
  • 1470-7926
DOI
10.1136/oem.2007.038430
OpenAlex
W2149581099
Cited by
919
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 47 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 57 · 2018: 59 · 2017: 70 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 79 · 2014: 85 · 2013: 69 · 2012: 67
FWCI
6.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Occupational and Environmental Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Employment and Welfare Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Occupational Health and Burnout
Keywords
major depressive disorder, psychosocial stressors, occupational stress, job strain, depressive symptoms, workplace mental health, job demands, job control, causality, confounding, follow-up study
MeSH terms
Decision Making, Depression, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Occupational Diseases, Occupations, Psychology, Risk, Stress, Psychological, Odds Ratio

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