Depressive symptoms among working adults in the 2003 EDS survey

The 2003 Ten-Year Health Survey (EDS 2003), conducted by INSEE, focused on individuals who were employed at the time of the survey (6,082 men, 5,521 women). The InVS Occupational Health Department identified several objectives based on these data. A primary objective was to study the associations between reported depressive symptoms and certain working conditions across social categories. The prevalence of these symptoms among employed workers was approximately 11%. It varied by social category and sector of activity. The associations between work-related stressors and depressive symptoms varied by social category and gender. Only “insufficient support to perform one’s tasks” was consistently associated with depressive symptoms regardless of social category. A second objective was to describe the links between depressive symptoms and holding a so-called “atypical” job (fixed-term contract, part-time, self-employed). The results showed that women were more likely than men to hold atypical jobs, in terms of fixed-term contracts and part-time work. For both genders, involuntary part-time work was associated with an increased frequency of depressive symptoms, whereas this was not the case for voluntary part-time work. Furthermore, having a fixed-term contract was associated with depressive symptoms among women.

The SMPG Survey: Mental Health Disorders and Occupational Activity

The General Population Mental Health Survey (SMPG), conducted in 1999–2003 by the WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Mental Health (CCOMS) and the Directorate for Research, Studies, Evaluation, and Statistics (Drees), was analyzed by the InVS; which aimed to describe the prevalence of various psychiatric conditions by employment status and to study their impact on occupational activity. The sample included more than 36,000 people aged 18 and older. The analyses showed that anxiety disorders were the most common (17% of men and 26% of women), while the estimated prevalence of mood disorders was 10% among men and 14% among women. The prevalence of various disorders was higher among the lowest socioeconomic groups. Among those reporting mental health disorders, approximately 50% felt that their work was affected.

Psychological distress at work in the Samotrace survey

© Djohr Guedra - Sandra-Vanessa Liégeois

Between January 2006 and March 2008, 110 volunteer occupational physicians from the Centre, Poitou-Charentes, and Pays de la Loire regions participated in the Samotrace survey. They surveyed a sample of 6,056 employees, 57% of whom were men. Psychological distress was reported by 24% of men and 37% of women in the sample, regardless of sector or occupational category. However, certain sectors, such as finance, public administration, and energy production, were more frequently affected.Furthermore, associations between psychological distress, work organization, and exposure to psychosocial factors at work were described, while taking individual factors (such as psychiatric history) into account. A link was thus identified between psychological distress and an imbalance between effort and reward, as well as with overinvestment in work, regardless of gender. The association between exposure to physical or verbal violence, atypical work schedules, and psychological distress was found more frequently among women than among men.

Data from the Rhône-Alpes pilot zone are currently being analyzed (some results are presented in the section on “suicide attempts and suicide”).

The MCP Program: Work-Related Psychological Distress

The MCP program (occupational diseases) was the subject of a combined study with data from the Samotrace program to compare data from both programs in the Centre region and neighboring areas, between 2006 and 2008 for Samotrace and in 2008 for MCP. In MCP, work-related psychological distress was diagnosed by the occupational physician. In Samotrace, it was assessed via a self-administered questionnaire, and the proportion attributable to work was calculated using data from the program. The prevalence of work-related psychological distress in both programs ranged from 1% to 5%. Among men, both programs agreed that the highest prevalences were found among intermediate professions and clerical workers. Among women, however, an upward gradient—from manual workers to managers—was observed in MCP, while an inverse gradient, though not statistically significant, was observed in Samotrace.

Stivab Survey: Mental Health as Perceived by Employees in the Meat Industry

The Stivab survey (Health and Work in the Meat Industry of Breton Agriculture) covered all 6,000 employees in the meat industry across the four departments of Brittany, whose companies were covered by the agricultural health insurance scheme (Mutualité sociale agricole - MSA). The results showed high prevalences of poor health reported by all employees. The prevalence was higher among women and increased steadily with age. High work demands, both in terms of quantity and quality, insufficient resources to perform high-quality work, and poor promotion prospects were found to be associated with perceived poor health. This study revealed a population of employees who are particularly vulnerable in terms of perceived physical and mental health and exposed to significant physical, organizational, and psychosocial work-related stressors.