Daily Work Qualities, Psychosocial Factors, and Depression in the US: Age Variations

Abstract

Using a national telephone probability sample of 2,592 U.S. adults collected in 1995 and 1998, this study examines the age variations in the relationships between daily work qualities or psychosocial factors and depression. Survey items measured symptoms of depression, fulfilling or nonroutine quality of respondent’s primary daily work/activity, social support, and sense of control. In the results, the different dimensions of work qualities and psychosocial factors have different effects on depression across adult ages. First, the effect of daily work fulfillment on depression varies across adult ages, but the effect of work complexity on depression is constant across ages. The beneficial effect of work fulfillment on depression appears to be stronger in older ages. Second, the effect of social support on depression change varies across adult ages, but the effect of sense of control does not vary substantially across ages. Only work fulfillment and social support have more beneficial effects on depression of older adults, suggesting policy implications for effective social interventions to help reduce the depression of older adults.