My colleague and I have done a bit of research on job quality and mental health, so this study caught my attention - especially since it's a study of folks born around the same time I was.
Researchers studied over 800 employed men and women born between 1972 and 1973 in New Zealand. They looked at the stress these folks experienced at work, including psychological job demands (e.g., work load and time pressures), physical job demands (e.g., heavy lifting and work hazards), control over what work gets done and when, and social support from colleagues and supervisors. They also examined their mental health - specifically anxiety and depression.
After adjusting their calculations for income level, a history of a mental health disorder in adolescence, having a generally negative personality, and other job stressors, they found that women who reported having high psychological job demands were 75% more likely to have depression or anxiety than female workers with low psychological job demands. In fact, when they analyzed the data over time, they found that high demand jobs were linked to new cases of depression and anxiety in workers without any history of either disorder prior to entering the labor force.
Most people who work experience job stress at one point or another. However, it's clear from this study that strategies for reducing stress are in order. Yoga, meditation, and breath work are great tools that I use. And anything that gets your heart pumping and gives your head a rest is always good. You also may want to talk to your supervisor about ways to minimize job stress, such as getting more help with job responsibilities or adjusting deadlines if possible. This can help to reduce your risk for depression and anxiety and improve your quality of life and well-being.
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