Non-linear association of two models of occupational stress with anxiety, depression, and job burnout among workers of a petrochemical enterprise in China

This study aimed to explore the job demand-control (JDC) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) models of occupational stress status among workers of a petrochemical enterprise, as well as their associations with anxiety, depression, and job burnout. Using a cluster sampling method, 1593 workers of a petrochemical enterprise in China were selected as survey participants. The two models of occupational stress, anxiety, depression, and job burnout were assessed by using the Chinese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Center for Epidemiological Survey Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), respectively. The detection rates of high JDC model occupational stress, high ERI model occupational stress, anxiety, depression and job burnout were 28.2%, 26.1%, 11.3%, 23.4%, and 78.6%, respectively. Seniority, sleeping time, JDC model and ERI model occupational stress were associated with anxiety; marital status, physical activity, sleeping time, JDC model and ERI model occupational stress were associated with depression; education level, JDC model and ERI model occupational stress were associated with job burnout. The results of the restricted cubic spline plots further indicated that anxiety, depression and job burnout score were non-linear correlated with D/C ratio, anxiety and job burnout score were non-linear correlated with E/R ratio, while depression score was linear correlated with the E/R ratio. Anxiety, depression and job burnout exhibit non-linear associations with JDC model occupational stress, anxiety and job burnout show non-linear correlations with ERI model occupational stress, while depression exhibits a linear correlation with ERI model occupational stress. It is essential to pay attention to the occupational stress levels of workers in petrochemical enterprises, provide continuous psychological support, and implement preventive measures targeting risk factors to help reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and job burnout.