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Work stress, family stress and depression in professional and managerial employees

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Jo Phelan ,
Joseph E. Schwartz ,
Evelyn J. Bromet ,
Mary A. Dew ,
David K. Parkinson ,
Herbert C. Schulberg ,
Leslie O. Dunn ,
Howard Blane  and
E. Carroll Curtis
Jo Phelan*
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Joseph E. Schwartz
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Evelyn J. Bromet
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Mary A. Dew
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
David K. Parkinson
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Herbert C. Schulberg
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Leslie O. Dunn
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Howard Blane
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
E. Carroll Curtis
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh; and the Research Institute on Alcoholism, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Jo Phelan, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Putnam Hall – South Campus, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794–8790, USA.
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Synopsis

Detailed interviews were conducted with 1523 married professional and managerial employees of a major US corporation to test associations of acute and chronic occupational and domestic stress with DSM-III-R major depression and current depressive symptoms. After controlling for demographic and clinical risk factors, both sources of stress were significantly associated with the two measures of depression. On the other hand, neither the demographic and clinical risk factors, nor several psychosocial characteristics (social support, sense of mastery and organizational commitment) moderated the relationship between stress and depression.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , November 1991 , pp. 999 - 1012
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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