266795 Interaction between the Effects of Employment Instability in Combination with Economic Status on Depression

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM

Eunhae Chung, MSW , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Heejin Kimm, MD PhD , Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
In Han Song, PhD , Graduate School of Social Welfare, Health and Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
Background: As a result of flexibility of labor market, the number of temporary workers has been increasing, and their unstable employment status threatens their economic status in Korea. Both job instability and economic status have been reported as risk factors for depression. However, little is known about the interaction between the two, particularly in longitudinal studies. We investigated the interaction between the effects of employment stability during 3 years in combination with economic status on depression.

Methods: Based on the 1st(2005) through 4th(2008) wave data from KOWEPS(Korea WElfare Panel Study), data of 1,963 workers was analyzed. Employment instability was classified with four categories according to the employment status changes. Economic status was defined using disposable income and depression level was measured by CES-D.

Results: Groups of employment instability consisted maintaining regular worker(n=1,094), downward(n=135), upward,(n=368), and maintaining temporary worker(n=366). The result showed that (1) compared to the group of maintaining regular worker(13.25±4.20), the depressive level by CES-D was worse in the maintaining temporary worker group(15.07±.15, p<0.001). (2) As the disposable income was higher, the depressive level got lower(correlation coefficient -0.149, p<0.0001). (3) Statistically significant interaction effect was detected between employment instability and economic status(disposable income) on depression. Workers in downward group(β=-0.050, p<0.01) and maintaining temporary worker group(β=-0.079, p<0.001) showed decreasing depression level than maintaining stable workers as their disposable income increased.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that it is necessary to understand the severity of depression caused by unstable employment, and mental health policy should address those with unstable employment status and low economic situation.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Analyze the severity of depression caused by unstable employment. Assess the effects of employment instability in combination with economic status on depression

Keywords: Occupational Health, Depression

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I received my PhD degree in Epidemiology from the University of Washington, Seattle, 1984. Had served as a faculty member at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, 1985-1996 and National Taiwan University in Taipei, 1996-2003, I am now a professor at China Medical University Department of Public Health, Taichung, Taiwan. I have conducted studies on Chronic Diseases and Environmental Epidemiology, etc.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4210.0: Occupational Epidemiology