Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study
Abstract Background Both perceived job insecurity and unemployment has been associated with an increased risk of developing mental ill health. It has, moreover, been proposed that an insecure employment may be as detrimental as unemployment itself. Objective To estimate incidence rate ratios (RRs) o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14137-1 |
| _version_ | 1798000639491440640 |
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| author | Harald Hannerz Hermann Burr Helle Soll-Johanning Martin Lindhardt Nielsen Anne Helene Garde Mari-Ann Flyvholm |
| author_facet | Harald Hannerz Hermann Burr Helle Soll-Johanning Martin Lindhardt Nielsen Anne Helene Garde Mari-Ann Flyvholm |
| author_sort | Harald Hannerz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Both perceived job insecurity and unemployment has been associated with an increased risk of developing mental ill health. It has, moreover, been proposed that an insecure employment may be as detrimental as unemployment itself. Objective To estimate incidence rate ratios (RRs) of (i) redeemed prescriptions for psychotropic drugs and (ii) psychiatric hospital treatment due to mood, anxiety, or stress-related disease, among fixed-term contract workers (as an operationalization of insecure job) vs. unemployed, in the general population of Denmark. Methods Data on baseline employment status were drawn from the Danish Labor Force Surveys in the years 2001–2013. Participants (10,265 fixed-term contract workers and 7926 unemployed) were followed for up to 5 years in national registers (2439 cases of psychotropic drug use, 71,516 person years; 311 cases of psychiatric hospital treatment, 86,790 person years). Adjusted RRs were obtained by Poisson regression. We aspired to minimize health selection effects by (i) exclusion of survey participants who received sickness benefits, social security cash benefits, psychiatric hospital treatment or a prescription for psychotropic drugs, within 1-year prior to baseline (n = 11,693), (ii) adjustment for age, gender, level of education, calendar year, disposable family income and maternity/paternity benefits within 1-year prior to baseline. Results The adjusted RR for fixed-term contract workers vs. unemployed was 0.98 (99.5% CI: 0.87—1.11) for psychotropic drugs and 0.93 (99.5% CI: 0.67—1.30) for psychiatric hospital treatment. Conclusion The present study did not find significant differences in the risk of developing mental ill health between fixed-term contract workers and unemployed, and thus suggests that fixed-term contracts may be as detrimental as unemployment. Trial registration International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR2-10.2196/24392. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:23:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3ddba69321c24c8888dd46c0fb7bfcf9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:23:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-3ddba69321c24c8888dd46c0fb7bfcf92022-12-22T04:26:22ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582022-09-0122111310.1186/s12889-022-14137-1Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort studyHarald Hannerz0Hermann Burr1Helle Soll-Johanning2Martin Lindhardt Nielsen3Anne Helene Garde4Mari-Ann Flyvholm5The National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentFederal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, BAuAThe National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentLægekonsulenten.DkThe National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentThe National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentAbstract Background Both perceived job insecurity and unemployment has been associated with an increased risk of developing mental ill health. It has, moreover, been proposed that an insecure employment may be as detrimental as unemployment itself. Objective To estimate incidence rate ratios (RRs) of (i) redeemed prescriptions for psychotropic drugs and (ii) psychiatric hospital treatment due to mood, anxiety, or stress-related disease, among fixed-term contract workers (as an operationalization of insecure job) vs. unemployed, in the general population of Denmark. Methods Data on baseline employment status were drawn from the Danish Labor Force Surveys in the years 2001–2013. Participants (10,265 fixed-term contract workers and 7926 unemployed) were followed for up to 5 years in national registers (2439 cases of psychotropic drug use, 71,516 person years; 311 cases of psychiatric hospital treatment, 86,790 person years). Adjusted RRs were obtained by Poisson regression. We aspired to minimize health selection effects by (i) exclusion of survey participants who received sickness benefits, social security cash benefits, psychiatric hospital treatment or a prescription for psychotropic drugs, within 1-year prior to baseline (n = 11,693), (ii) adjustment for age, gender, level of education, calendar year, disposable family income and maternity/paternity benefits within 1-year prior to baseline. Results The adjusted RR for fixed-term contract workers vs. unemployed was 0.98 (99.5% CI: 0.87—1.11) for psychotropic drugs and 0.93 (99.5% CI: 0.67—1.30) for psychiatric hospital treatment. Conclusion The present study did not find significant differences in the risk of developing mental ill health between fixed-term contract workers and unemployed, and thus suggests that fixed-term contracts may be as detrimental as unemployment. Trial registration International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR2-10.2196/24392.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14137-1Cohort studyFixed-term employmentUnemploymentPsychotropic drugsPsychiatric hospital treatment |
| spellingShingle | Harald Hannerz Hermann Burr Helle Soll-Johanning Martin Lindhardt Nielsen Anne Helene Garde Mari-Ann Flyvholm Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study BMC Public Health Cohort study Fixed-term employment Unemployment Psychotropic drugs Psychiatric hospital treatment |
| title | Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study |
| title_full | Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study |
| title_fullStr | Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study |
| title_short | Fixed-term contract positions, unemployment and mental ill health: a Danish cohort study |
| title_sort | fixed term contract positions unemployment and mental ill health a danish cohort study |
| topic | Cohort study Fixed-term employment Unemployment Psychotropic drugs Psychiatric hospital treatment |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14137-1 |
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