Precarious work and depressive symptoms: gender-related associations
Longitudinal studies indicate that men are at greater risk than women of developing symptoms of depression as a result of precarious work. A South Korean study suggests that household position may explain this difference. The question arises as to whether these risk differences could be explained by the position in the household (for example living alone without a partner or living with a partner).
The analysis was based on a cohort of 2,009 employees from the "Mental Health at Work Study" (S-MGA). Five indicators of precarious work were used: subjective job insecurity, marginal employment, temporary employment, low wages (net hourly wage <60 percent of the median) and episodes of unemployment in the past - also summarised in an index of precarious work. Possible associations between precarious work during the period 2012-2017 and depressive symptoms in 2017 were examined by logistic regression analysis - stratified by gender and position in the household (for example living alone without a partner or living with a partner) in 2012 and adjusted for depressive symptoms, age, occupational status and partnership status in 2012.
Position in the household had no significant interactions with the indicators of precarious work or an index of precarious work among either women or men.
It is still unclear why, in many studies, the risks of developing depressive symptoms from precarious work are higher in men than in women.
