Objective Job Demands of Oneself and One’s Partner, and Depressive Symptoms. Evidence from a Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study

Benedikt Kretzler, Hans-Helmut König and André Hajek
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Benedikt Kretzler: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Hans-Helmut König: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
André Hajek: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, 20246 Hamburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Job characteristics are an important predictor of depressive symptoms. Recent research detected unemployment’s spillover effects on spouses’ depressive symptoms, but there is still a lack of studies that examine the association between objective job demands of oneself and one’s partner and depressive symptoms. Methods: Data were derived from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), which is a representative sample that includes individuals aged 40 years and older. Psycho-social, physical, and overall job characteristics were assessed objectively, using a validated index developed by Kroll. Depressive symptoms were quantified by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results: Regarding fixed-effects regression, we found no significant association between the own or the partner’s job demands and depression among the total sample and among men. However, among women, both increasing psychosocial demands of one’s own occupation and physical job demands of one’s partner’s occupation were related to higher levels of depression, as well as the partner’s overall job demands. Conclusions: The findings of the present longitudinal study highlight the association between job demands and depressive symptoms in women, but not in men, especially regarding the partner’s employment characteristics. Efforts to reduce the burden of high job demands may be helpful. This could help alleviate depressive symptoms. In turn, geriatric giants caused by increased depressive symptoms, such as frailty, could be postponed.

Keywords: job demands; spillover; mental health; partnership; depressive symptoms; depression; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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