Workplace trauma exposure, emotional imbalance and work ability

Introduction: Psychiatric disorders are among the most common diagnostic group reported on certificates for sickness absence and disability pension. Psychiatric diseases affect functions of central importance for workability, especially in jobs requiring high cognitive and social competence. However, this aspect of workability is under-investigated, particularly for workers with sub-clinical conditions. We assessed the association of Work Ability Index (WAI) and emotional imbalance. Methods: We measured WAI, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in 40 farmacy workers in Italy. We collected subjects’ occupational background and demographic characteristics. Association between WAI, subjects’ age, years in employment, general mental health and depressive symptoms were tested by Spearman correlations. Differences in WAI between subjects reporting minimal versus mild/moderate/severe BDI were tested by Mann-Whitney test. Results: Subjects were mainly young (mean age=43; range=27-65) and women (82%). 70% reported no or minimal depression while none of them had severe symptoms. GHQ mean score was 12 (SD=4.3). Five subjects (12%) reported poor/moderate WAI. Age was not associated with WAI, BDI or GHQ. BDI and GHQ were strongly related (ρ=.62; p<.001). WAI scores were negatively correlated with both GHQ (-.35; p=.026) and BDI (-.59; p<.001). Subjects reporting no or minimal depression had 6-point higher WAI than those with mild or moderate symptoms (p<.001). Conclusion: We found a moderate/strong association between depressive symptoms and occupational functional status, even among subjects without evidence of severe depressive conditions and emotional imbalance. The present study suggests a role of mild mental disturbances on workability that should be further investigated.