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Work-family conflict as a mediator in the association between work stress and depressive symptoms: cross-sectional evidence from the German lidA-cohort study

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Abstract

Objective

The demographic change leads to a shrinking German work force. Depressive symptoms cause many days absent at work, loss of productivity and early retirement. Therefore, pathways for prevention of depressive symptoms are important for the maintenance of global competitiveness. We investigated the role of work-family conflict (WFC) in the well-known association between work stress and depressive symptoms.

Methods

A total of 6,339 employees subject to social insurance, born in 1959 or 1965 and randomly drawn from 222 sample points in Germany participated in the first wave of the leben in der Arbeit-study. In the analysis, 5,906 study subjects working in full-time or part-time positions were included. Work stress was measured by effort–reward imbalance ratio, depressive symptoms by the applied Becks depression inventory (BDI-V) and WFC by items of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ)-scale. Multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for age, education, negative affectivity (PANAS), overcommitment and number of children was performed. Mediation was defined according to the criteria of Baron and Kenny.

Results

Work stress was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (BDI-V) in all full-time [ß1female = 6.61 (95 % CI 3.95–9.27); ß1male = 8.02 (95 % CI 5.94–10.09)] and female part-time employees [ß2female = 4.87 (95 % CI 2.16–7.59)]. When controlling for WFC effect, estimates became smaller in men and were even halved in women. WFC was also significantly associated with work stress and depressive symptoms: All criteria for partial mediation between work stress and depressiveness were fulfilled.

Conclusions

Prevention of WFC may help to reduce days absent at work and early retirement due to work stress-related depressive symptoms in middle-aged women and men.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financed in the frame of the lidA-study by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the Project Numbers 01 ER 0806, 01 ER 0825, 01 ER 0826, 01 ER 0827. We thank the Pearson Assessment and Information GmbH for permission for using the BDI-V-questionnaire. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Jean-Baptist du Prel

    Present address: Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Schwabstr. 13, 89075, Ulm, Germany

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  1. Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    Jean-Baptist du Prel & Richard Peter

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du Prel, JB., Peter, R. Work-family conflict as a mediator in the association between work stress and depressive symptoms: cross-sectional evidence from the German lidA-cohort study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 88, 359–368 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0967-0

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