Does work really cause distress? The contribution of occupational structure and work organization to the experience of psychological distress

Abstract

This research examines the specific contribution of occupation and work organization conditions on psychological distress, based on a representative sample of 9501 workers in 419 occupations in Quebec, Canada. Multilevel regression models show that occupational structure accounts for 0.8% of variation in psychological distress. Among the constraints and resources related to work organization condition, physical and psychological demands, irregular schedules, and workplace harassment emerge as important determinants of psychological distress. The effects of work organization conditions do not vary across occupations. Family situation, support available from social networks outside work, and personal characteristics of individuals are also associated with psychological distress, but these factors do not moderate the effects of work organization conditions. Overall, the findings support the hypothesis that occupation and, to an even greater extent, "pathogenic" work organization conditions contribute independently to the experience of psychological distress. They also support the theoretical model conceptualizing psychological distress as the product of stress caused by constraints and resources brought to bear simultaneously by the agent's personality, structures of daily life, and macrosocial structures.