A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF SELF-REPORTED WORK CONDITIONS AND PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH IN NATIVE SWEDES AND IMMIGRANTS

Several studies have demonstrated that immigrants in Scandinavian coun tries are more affected by psychosocial disabilities than the native-b orn population. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible impa ct of work-related stressors on psychiatric health in immigrants compa red to native Swedes. The study included a cluster selected cohort of 1,040 men born in 1944 (participation ratio = 79.9%), living in Gothen burg, Sweden. Of these, 182 (18.0%) were immigrants, defined as being born outside Sweden. information on work conditions and psychiatric he alth were obtained by self-administered questionnaires. Employment in native Swedes showed inverse associations to frequent use of anxiolyti cs [relative risk (RR)= 0.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06-0.4], frequent use of hypnotics (RR = 0.1; CI = 0.02-0.2) and use of antide pressants (RR = 0.3; CI = 0.2-0.5). None of the employed immigrants us ed anxiolytics or hypnotics frequently Swedes seemed to display a numb er of psychiatric ill-health factors related to working conditions. Th ese factors included frequent use oi hypnotics, frequent insomnia, use of antidepressants, a high degree of melancholy and were related to s hift work, dissatisfaction with current work and management and a low degree of influence on work situation, often related to a high degree of stress at work and a frequent desire to change type of work. These associations were not seen in immigrants, apart from the risk of frequ ent insomnia (RR = 4.7; CI = 1.2-18.3) and dissatisfaction with collea gues (RR = 10.4; CI = 2.2-48.8) when working in shift. With a few exce ptions, non-optimal working environment was associated with a low degr ee of life satisfaction in both groups. It was hypothesized that optim al working conditions are important for maintaining psychiatric health , and that immigrants, when employed, seem less affected by impaired w orking conditions than native Swedes.