Prevalence of psychosocial risks in the workplace and mental health among immigrants and their descendants: results from the 2016 National Survey on Working Conditions and Psychosocial Risks

Objectives - Few studies have examined psychosocial risks among immigrants and their descendants and their association with mental health. The objectives of our study are: 1) to describe the prevalence of two indicators that capture the dimensions of psychological demands, decision-making latitude, and isolation at work: job strain (low autonomy/high demands) and iso-strain (a combination of job strain and low social support) according to migration status, and to model the probability of exposure; 2) to verify that the associations between job strain, iso-strain, and anxiety are similar across all groups (immigrants, descendants of immigrants). Methods - We used the 2016 national cross-sectional survey on Working Conditions and Psychosocial Risks (N=24,640). Anxiety was measured using the GAD-Mini score, a diagnostic tool for identifying generalized anxiety disorder. The prevalence of job strain and iso-strain was described according to migration status and sex. Poisson regressions were used to model the probability of exposure to job strain and iso-strain. The prevalence of anxiety was then described according to migration status and sex. In each population group, we modeled the probability of anxiety based on sociodemographic characteristics, mental health history, and experience of job strain or iso-strain. Results - The prevalence of psychosocial risks varies significantly by immigration status, with immigrants being more exposed than the majority population (neither immigrants nor descendants of immigrants). After adjustment, being an immigrant from Africa remains associated with job strain (adjusted incidence risk ratio: IRRa=1.21; 95% CI: [0.99–1.47]), and being a descendant of African immigrants remains associated with iso-strain (IRRa = 1.33 [1.05–1.69]). The prevalence of anxiety was particularly high among descendants of African immigrants (12%). In this population, job strain and iso-strain were associated with anxiety (IRRa job strain = 2.70 [1.22–6.01]; IRRa iso-strain = 4.26 [2.29–7.92]). Conclusion - In line with international research, our study shows that immigrants and descendants of immigrants are particularly exposed to job strain and iso-strain, which could contribute to the deterioration of their mental health.

Author(s): Gosselin Anne, Malroux Inès, Desprat Diane, Devetter François-Xavier, Memmi Sarah, Pannetier Julie, Valat Emmanuel, Melchior Maria

Publishing year: 2022

Pages: 141-149

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2022, n° 7, p. 141-149

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