Reciprocal associations between job strain and depression: A 2‐year follow‐up study from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

BACKGROUND: A growing number of people suffered from depression. This study examined the depression prevalence in workers across 10 European countries plus Israel and the reciprocal associations between job strain and depression. METHODS: The study population consisted of 7,879 workers aged 50–63 years at baseline (2004) from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Job demands (physical or psychosocial) and job control variables were derived from the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Two 4‐category job strains (physical and psychosocial) were obtained based on the cross‐tabulation of these dichotomized demands and control variables. There were 4,284 depression‐free, 3,259 high physical strain‐free and 3,195 high psychosocial strain‐free participants at baseline who were followed up for 2 years to detect incident depression, high physical job strain, or high psychosocial strain, respectively. The reciprocal associations between job strain and depression were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and multivariate multilevel logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression varied from the lowest 12.5% in Germany to the highest 27.2% in France. Compared to individuals with low strain, a significantly higher risk of depression were found in individuals with high physical strain (OR = 1.39) and high psychosocial strain (OR = 1.55), after adjusting for potential confounders. Depression at baseline was not significantly associated with subsequent high job strain. Similar results were observed from multilevel models that took into consideration of the potential country‐level influences. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression varies across countries in Europe. Avoiding high job strain may be an effective preventive strategy to prevent depression epidemic.