FLASH Research : Mental health in Cycle 4: Contribution of work, non-work and individual factors

The fourth cycle of the Longitudinal Study of the Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (ELOSMET) includes 95 Canadian workplaces and their participating employees who were surveyed between June 7, 2022 and June 6, 2024. A total of 1,785 employees aged 18 and over agreed to complete an online questionnaire, for a response rate of 63%.

This FLASH Research presents preliminary results of the contribution of work, non-work and individual factors to four mental health indicators: psychological distress, depression, anxiety and burnout. Three previous FLASH Researches (published in October 2021, October 2022 and December 2023) based on the results of Cycle 1, Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 have shown, beyond the context marked by COVID-19, the size of the company or its economic sector, that the non-work situation seems to play a more important role when the mental health symptoms experienced are those of psychological distress, depression and anxiety. Burnout seems more influenced by the conditions of the work organization and individual factors. 1-3

 

 

 

  • Psychological distress :
    • Lower when physical demands are high
    • Higher when psychological demands and job insecurity are high
  • Depression:
    • Lower when skill utilization, physical demands and career prospects are high
    • Higher when psychological demands, interpersonal conflicts and job insecurity are high
  • Anxiety :
    • Lower when physical demands, hours worked and career prospects are high
    • Higher when psychological demands, interpersonal conflicts and job insecurity are high
  • Burnout :
    • Lower when the individual uses their skills, psychological harassment is low, and recognition and procedural justice are high
    • Higher when psychological demands, hours worked, irregular schedules, interpersonal conflicts and job insecurity are high
  • Psychological distress, depression, anxiety and burnout have psychological demands and job insecurity in common.

 

  • Psychological distress :
    • Higher when marital tensions and family-work/work-family conflicts are high
  • Depression :
    • Lower when the person lives as a couple and there is a child in the household, and social support is high
    • Higher when marital and parental tensions and family-work/work-family conflicts are high
  • Anxiety :
    • Lower when there is child in the household
    • Higher when marital and parental tensions and family-work/work-family conflicts are high
  • Burnout :
    • Higher when work-family conflicts are high
  • Psychological distress, depression, anxiety and burnout have work-family conflict in common.

  • Psychological distress :
    • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is high
    • Higher when there are chronic health problems and when cannabis consumption is high.
  • Depression:
    • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is higher
    • Higher when you are a woman, when there are chronic health problems and when tobacco and cannabis consumptions are high.
  • Anxiety :
    • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is higher
    • Higher when you are a woman or from a minority group, when you have chronic health problems and when tobacco and cannabis consumptions are high.
  • Burnout:
    • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is high
    • Higher when chronic health conditions are present and when cannabis use is high.
  • Psychological distress, depression, anxiety and burnout have the age of the person, chronic health conditions, cannabis use and psychological capital in common.

 

Conclusion

Overall, these preliminary results from Cycle 4 support the observations from previous FLASH Researches1-3. The non-work situation seems to play a more important role when the mental health symptoms experienced are those of psychological distress, depression and anxiety, whereas burnout seems more strongly influenced by work conditions organization.

Although preliminary, these results allow us to draw the following conclusions:

  • In the workplace, the opportunity to use skills, have more physical demands, be recognized for work accomplished, have career prospects and work in an organization with a low level of harassment, and that practices and procedures are based on principles of justice, appear to be favorable elements for protecting the mental health of individuals, in particular from burnout. However, psychological demands, i.e. workload, work pace and conflicting demands, and job insecurity are associated with more psychological distress, depression, anxiety and burnout. Interpersonal conflicts seem to play a greater role in depression, anxiety and burnout, while the number of hours worked is not associated in the same way, it seems to promote a higher level of professional burnout, as does irregular working hours, but a higher number of hours worked would be associated with lower anxiety symptoms. This could suggest that a greater number of hours worked could be associated with better income and therefore possibly alleviate the financial stress present for some.
  • Outside the workplace, non-work social support (friends, close relatives, etc.) is associated with a lower level of depression but does not seem to help other mental health problems. However, having children may promote lower levels of anxiety and depression. Nevertheless, living as a couple would only represent a protective factor for depression. But tensions with a partner are associated with higher levels of psychological distress, depression and anxiety. In the presence of parental tension (difficult relationships, behaviors and concerns about a child), these seem to be associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Also, the presence of family to work conflicts seems to be associated with high problems of psychological distress, depression and anxiety. In the other direction, in the presence of work to family conflict, it seems to be associated with higher levels of mental health problems and would lead employees to high levels of burnout.
  • For individual characteristics, being older and having greater psychological capital, such as a personality marked by a feeling of self-efficacy (self-confidence), hope, resilience and optimism, appears to promote lower levels of mental health symptoms. However, having a state of health weakened by one or more chronic health problems and consumption of tobacco or cannabis will tend to disrupt mental health. Also, being a woman is associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms or anxiety. Furthermore, being from a minority group would favor the experience of a higher level of anxiety.

As suggested in previous FLASH Research issues, an integrated approach to prevention that puts in place management practices promoting the control of working conditions, work-family balance and personal health can certainly produce positive results in order to reduce mental health problems and allow the company to better control its problems of absenteeism at work1-6.

 

References

  1. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (Octobre, 2021). Psychological distress and burnout: Contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-detresse-psychologique-et-epuisement-professionnel-contribution-des-facteurs-du-travail-hors-travail-et-individuels/
  2. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (October, 2022). Mental health in Cycle 2 of ELOSMET study. October 2022. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-au-cycle-2-de-lelosmet/
  3. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (December, 2023). Mental health in Cycle 3: Contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-au-cycle-3-contribution-des-facteurs-du-travail-hors-travail-et-individuels/
  4. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (February, 2021). Mental health in the workplace during a pandemic: Early results from ELOSMET Cycle-1. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-en-milieux-de-travail-en-temps-de-pandemie/
  5. Marchand, A., Haines, V. Y., Harvey, S., Dextras‐Gauthier, J., and Durand, P. (2016) Health and Stress Management and Mental‐health Disability Claims. Stress & Health, 32: 569–577. doi: 1002/smi.2663.
  6. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (October, 2020). Absenteeism and workplace health and wellness management practices. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-labsenteisme-et-les-pratiques-de-gestion-en-sante-et-mieux-etre-au-travail/

 

Website: https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/en

About the OSMET

The Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (OSMET) was born of a collaboration between the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Institut de recherche en santé publique (now the Centre de recherche en santé publique) and the School of Industrial Relations of the Université de Montréal. Three founding partners financially support OSMET: TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks and Morneau Shepell), Medavie and Pratt & Whitney Canada.

 

OSMET FLASH Research collection:

  1. Telework, working conditions and work-family conflicts. June 2020. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-teletravail-conditions-de-travail-et-conflits-travail-famille/
  2. Absenteeism and workplace health and wellness management practices. October 2020. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-labsenteisme-et-les-pratiques-de-gestion-en-sante-et-mieux-etre-au-travail/
  3. Mental health in the workplace during a pandemic: Early results from ELOSMET Cycle-1. January 2021. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-en-milieux-de-travail-en-temps-de-pandemie/
  4. Portrait of the implementation of occupational health and wellness management practices. June 2021. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-les-pratiques-de-gestion-de-la-sante-et-du-mieux-etre-au-travail/
  5. Psychological distress and burnout: Contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors. October 2021. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-detresse-psychologique-et-epuisement-professionnel-contribution-des-facteurs-du-travail-hors-travail-et-individuels/
  6. The best practices for intervening and reducing mental health problems in the workplace. May 2022. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/publications/flash-recherche/flash-recherche-les-meilleures-pratiques-pour-intervenir-et-diminuer-les-problemes-de-sante-mentale-au-travail/
  7. Mental Health in Cycle 2 of ELOSMET study. October 2022. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-au-cycle-2-de-lelosmet/
  8. Prevalence of mental health problems in the workplace during COVID-19: ELOSMET Cycle 2 results. November 2022. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-prevalence-des-problemes-de-sante-mentale-en-milieux-de-travail-pendant-la-covid-19-les-resultats-du-cycle-2-de-lelosmet/
  9. Evolution of mental health indicators in the first three cycles of ELOSMET study. July 2023. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-levolution-des-indicateurs-de-sante-mentale-dans-les-trois-premiers-cycles-de-lelosmet/
  10. Mental health in Cycle 3: Contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors. December, 2023. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-au-cycle-3-contribution-des-facteurs-du-travail-hors-travail-et-individuels/

This content has been updated on 26 July 2024 at 13h03.