Depressive symptoms in women working in a poultry-processing plant: a longitudinal analysis

Abstract

Background: Work in poultry-processing plants is physically demanding, and a number of studies have documented the effects of such work on the physical health of workers. Few studies, however, have examined the potential effects on mental health.

Methods: Longitudinal data were collected on 223 women who worked in two poultry-processing plants in northeastern North Carolina. Effects on depressive symptoms of demographic variables, work tenure at baseline, musculoskeletal pain, psychosocial job characteristics, coping style, and health-related quality of life were examined using mixed models.

Results: Psychosocial job characteristics were not associated with depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) in this cohort of workers. CES-D scores decreased with increasing work tenure at the plant, which suggests a healthy worker survivor effect (HWSE).

Conclusions: These exploratory analyses draw attention to the need to more carefully explore the possibility that the HWSE may extend to mental health outcomes as well as physical ones.