Mental ill-health and sickness absence among women who recently entered working life: Intervenable risk and protective factors

Description

Mental ill-health and sickness absence have increased considerably in recent years among young people who are new to the labor market, and the problems are particularly common among young women. The project aims to increase knowledge about risk and protective factors for mental ill-health and sickness absence among young women in various parts of the labor market in Sweden. Data from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH), a cohort representing the Swedish working population, will be used to identify patterns and predictors of mental ill-health. Survey data regarding organizational and social work environment factors, use of social media, change in socio-economic and social status and self-reported mental (ill) health will be linked to national registers. From the registers, demographic data, information on sickness absence and prescribing of medicines for depression, difficulty sleeping, etc. are retrieved. These quantitative data are supplemented with qualitative interview data to get deeper and more detailed descriptions of young women's experiences of their work situation and mental health. In the long run, the project is expected to contribute to improvements at the individual, organizational and societal level; through reduced mental ill-health and sickness absence among young women and in the longer term through increased sustainability and gender equality in working life.