Psychosocial work factors and subsequent mental health service use: a prospective study using the national ESPS survey in France

The objective was to study the prospective associations between psychosocial work factors and mental health service use. The study used data from the national French periodical ESPS survey collected in 2010, 2012, and 2014 and linked to the national health insurance database. Psychosocial work factors included quantitative demands, tensions with the public, low freedom at work, low possibilities for learning new things, low colleague support, low recognition at work, low salary satisfaction, job insecurity, temporary contract, and redundancy plan. The number of exposures to these factors was calculated. Mental health service use from the national health insurance database was measured by visits to office- and hospital-based psychiatrists within the 2-year period following each survey wave. The prospective associations between psychosocial work factors and the 2-year incidence of mental health service use were studied using mixed effects Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for covariates. The study sample included 8576 working men and women without mental health service use within the 6 months preceding survey wave. High quantitative demands, low freedom at work, and low colleague support were predictive of mental health service use. The higher the number of exposures, the higher the incidence of mental health service use. There was no gender-related interaction. The study brought support for the prospective associations between psychosocial work factors and mental health service use. Preventive measures towards psychosocial work factors, including multiple exposure, may help to reduce mental health service use and improve mental health among the working population.