Workplace gender composition and psychological distress: the importance of the psychosocial work environment

Abstract

BackgroundHealth consequences of the gender segregated labour market have previously been demonstrated in the light of gender composition of occupations and workplaces, with somewhat mixed results. Associations between the gender composition and health status have been suggested to be shaped by the psychosocial work environment. The present study aims to analyse how workplace gender composition is related to psychological distress and to explore the importance of the psychosocial work environment for psychological distress at workplaces with different gender compositions.MethodsThe study population consisted of participants from the Northern Swedish Cohort with a registered workplace in 2007 when the participants were 42 years old (N = 795). Questionnaire data were supplemented with register data on the gender composition of the participants’ workplaces divided into three groups: workplaces with more women, mixed workplaces, and workplaces with more men. Associations between psychological distress and gender composition were analysed with multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for socioeconomic position, previous psychological distress, psychosocial work environment factors and gender. Logistic regression analyses (including interaction terms for gender composition and each work environment factor) were also used to assess differential associations between psychosocial work factor and psychological distress according to gender composition.ResultsWorking at workplaces with a mixed gender composition was related to a higher likelihood of psychological distress compared to workplaces with more men, after adjustments for socioeconomic position, psychological distress at age 21, psychosocial work environment factors and gender. Psychosocial work environment factors did not explain the association between gender composition and psychological distress.ConclusionsThe association between gender composition and psychological distress cannot be explained by differences in the perception of the psychosocial work environment and thus the work environment hypothesis is not supported. Workplaces with a mixed gender composition needs further research attention to explain the negative development of psychological distress during working life for both women and men at these workplaces.

Genre, âge, catégorie professionnelle, secteur économique et santé mentale en milieu de travail: les résultats de l’étude SALVEO

“…Il se pourrait aussi que le secteur tertiaire, qui contient une proportion importante de femmes, convienne moins à certains hommes qui se retrouvent de fait dans des univers de travail moins masculins et possiblement moins propices à leur épanouissement personnel. Selon une étude récente, la mixité de genre à l'intérieur d'un environnement de travail serait associée à la détresse psychologique 28 .…”

Occupational gender composition and mild to severe depression in a Swedish cohort: The impact of psychosocial work factors

“…Although the higher odds of mild to severe depression in the most female-dominated occupations were attenuated by the inclusion of the psychosocial work factors, they remained significant, suggesting that most of the variation in mild to severe depression between strata of occupational gender composition are explained by other factors. We cannot rule out the possibility that men with a history of mental-health problems end up in the most female-dominated occupations, an association that has previously been suggested by Swedish and Danish researchers [15,17]. Among men with high education, higher odds of mild to severe depression were reported particularly in professions with >20–40% and >60–80% women compared to professions with 0–20% women.…”

“…Among men with high education, higher odds of mild to severe depression were reported particularly in professions with >20–40% and >60–80% women compared to professions with 0–20% women. In a study based on the Northern Swedish Cohort, Elwér et al found that psychological distress in both genders was more pronounced in gender-integrated than in gender-segregated workplaces; psychosocial work factors could not explain the difference in their study either [15]. The occupational stratum with >20–40% women consisted of, for example, engineers, police officers, computing professionals, estate agents and organisational analysts, and the stratum with >60–80% women of, for example, public-service administrative professionals, primary-education teaching professionals and banking associate professionals.…”

“…An alternative explanation is that different health-related cultures may develop at workplaces with different gender compositions [13,14]. A third explanation suggests that the increased risk for mental-health problems among employees in female-dominated occupations and workplaces is due to a poor psychosocial work environment [7,[15][16][17]. For example, reports of high-strain work situations are more frequent in highly female-dominated occupations compared to gender-integrated and male-dominated occupations in Sweden [18].…”

Gender Differences on Mental Health, Work-Family Conflicts and Alcohol Use in Response to Abusive Supervision

“…Since workplace gender composition was found to be related to psychological distress in recent research (e.g., Elwér, Johansson, & Hammarström, 2014), percentage of female workers was entered as a workplace covariate. This information was collected from the human resources department in each company.…”