Open AccessThe moderating effect of employment status on the relationship between lifetime major depressive disorder and positive mental health
Author(s) -
Rajeswari Sambasivam,
Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar,
Edimansyah Abdin,
Fiona Devi,
Boon Yiang Chua,
Saleha Shafie,
Sherilyn Chang,
Shazana Shahwan,
Siow Ann Chong,
Mythily Subramaniam
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
annals, academy of medicine, singapore/annals of the academy of medicine, singapore
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0304-4602
DOI - 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.20215
Subject(s) - moderation , mental health , major depressive disorder , medicine , depression (economics) , population , psychiatry , clinical psychology , gerontology , psychology , environmental health , mood , social psychology , economics , macroeconomics
This paper aims to examine the (1) level of positive mental health (PMH), (2) identifythe socio-demographic correlates of the PMH domains in the general population, and (3) establish ifemployment status moderates the relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and PMHamong those with a lifetime prevalence of MDD.Methods: The Singapore Mental Health Study conducted between 2016 and 2018 included Singaporeresidents aged ≥18 years. The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interviewversion 3.0 was utilised to establish lifetime prevalence of MDD. Moderation analysis was conductedusing SPSS PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2017) to assess if employment status moderated the relationshipbetween MDD and PMH.Results: Significantly lower PMH total and domain scores were reported by respondents (n=2,270) whoendorsed lifetime MDD compared to those who did not. Moderation analysis demonstrated that the effectof MDD on PMH total and domain scores varied considerably across employment status. Based on theinteraction plots, the effect of MDD on both PMH total and domain scores was minimal among thoseemployed than unemployed.Conclusion: Healthcare professionals should support the employment needs of those who reportlifetime MDD to provide care for an individual’s mental well-being in a holistic manner. Acquiring orremaining in employment would be a priority depending on the PMH of the individual. Reducing barriersto employment for those with health issues or creating employment opportunities for this group areconcerns that need to be addressed at a societal level.Keywords: Depression, employment, positive mental health, well-being