8278244 Multiple occupational exposures and mental diagnoses

<h3>Objective</h3> While extensive research has explored the relationship between psychosocial exposures and mental disorders, there is limited understanding of how other occupational exposures, particularly when assessed in combination, influence mental health outcomes. We examine how multiple occupational exposures are associated with mental diagnoses. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> We utilized Finnish register data covering individuals aged 30-62 in 2010 (N=2,184,231) and applied Cox proportional hazards model to examine the association between 12 different occupational exposures assessed by European Job Exposure Matrix (EuroJEM) and incident health care visits due to mental diagnoses in 2011-2021. The analysis was conducted separately for men and women, accounting for age, education and mutual exposures. <h3>Results</h3> Around 11.5% had health care visits due to mental diagnoses, mainly due to depression, anxiety or substance use. Each exposure was associated with at least one health outcome, with most showing positive associations and some negative. The strongest association with any mental diagnoses was found with high likelihood of job demands with hazard ratios of 1.32 (95% confidence intervals 1.23-1.36) in men, and 1.18 (1.13-1.22) in women (compared to low likelihood of exposure to job demands). Fully adjusted models revealed positive associations for high job demands, low decision authority, fast breathing, awkward work posture and noise with mental diagnoses. No significant associations with mental diagnoses were found for diesel, wood dust and nickel in women. Very few associations were observed between occupational exposures and reactive stress in men and sleeping disorders in women. <h3>Conclusions</h3> In addition to psychosocial exposures, also occupational noise and physical workload increased the risk of mental diagnoses. The associations, however, varied across exposures, specific mental health diagnosis, adjustments and gender. <h3>Funding</h3> This project has received funding from the Strategic Research Council of Finland (LIFECON 364414) and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant No 874703).