Work-related psychosocial risk factors and psychiatric disorders: A cross-sectional study in the French working population

International audience ; PurposeThe study estimates the prevalence of probable psychiatric disorder in the working population,determines the proportion of people presenting a probable psychiatric disorder amongpeople exposed to work-related psychosocial risk factors (PSRFs), and identifies whichPSRF has the strongest association with having a probable psychiatric disorder.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted in March 2018 involved a representative sample of theFrench working population. The General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ-28) was used toestimate the prevalence of probable psychiatric disorder and 44 items were gathered fromtheoretical models of PSRFs. We used multiple logistic regression to estimate the associationof each PSRF with having a probable psychiatric disorder, adjusted on individual,health, and job confounders.ResultsThis study involved 3200 French participants. The proportion of probable psychiatric disorderwas 22.2% [20.6; 24.0]. Ten PSRFs were significantly associated with it. The strongestassociation was for having problems handling professional and personal responsibilities(reported by 15% of the study population) (OR = 1.97 [1.52; 2.54]), with 45% pathologicalGHQ-28 scores (potential psychiatric cases) for people exposed to this PSRF versus 18%non-exposed. The next strongest association was lack of support of colleagues (reported by28%) (OR = 1.63 [1.29; 2.06]). The third strongest association was feeling sometimes afraidwhen doing the job (reported by 63%) (OR = 1.53, [1.21; 1.93]).ConclusionsOur study identified 10 PSRFs associated with psychiatric disorder, with substantial exposurerate among the population. The results of our research could help develop recommendationsto improve work environment.