Project component 2: Longitudinal associations between working and employment conditions, burnout and depressive symptoms
- Project number: F 2460
- Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
- Status: Completed Project
Description:
The assessment of mental health among employees usually only focuses on depressive symptoms. Therefore, this research project additionally concerned itself with burnout and a reduced work ability to consider poor mental health.
The data base was provided by the first and second Wave of the longitudinal study on mental health at work (S-MGA). It completes the S-MGA analysis regarding the well-being of employees.
The first longitudinal investigation identified associations between work-related demands, resources, indicators of mental health and work ability. In addition, we examined risk factors for bullying. Our analyses of work ability included work-related physical demands.
Our findings confirm the benefits of a more nuanced differentiation on work-related demands and resources. After all, well-known factors such as long working hours and opportunities for development as well as lesser-known factors such as commuting times, control over working time, quality of leadership and bullying are associated with impairments of mental health. Physical demands and control over working time emerged as particularly decisive factors for work ability. High demands and low resources are associated with a significantly elevated risk of workplace bullying.
Our results point at new demands and resources for mental health in the workplace, which are important for practical use as well as to politics. The findings of this project provided a basis for not only various publications. They also provided answers to official enquiries of the German Bundestag, were used to advise the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and were presented in a hearing of the Bundestag plenary chamber.
