Effects of perceived job insecurity on depression, suicide ideation, and decline in self-rated health in Korea: a population-based panel study

Purpose: To investigate the effects of job security on new development of depressive episode, suicide ideation, and decline in self-rated health. Methods: Data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study from 2012 to 2015 were analysed. A total of 2912 waged workers self-assessed their depressive episode, suicide ideation, and health annually by answering the questionnaire. Participants were divided into three groups according to the level of job security: high, intermediate and low. To evaluate the influence of job security, we performed survival analysis after stratification by gender with adjustment for covariates. The result was further stratified by whether the respondent was the head of household. Results: After adjusting for covariates, men in low job security group showed significantly higher hazard ratios (HRs) for depression (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.01–1.60), suicide ideation (HR 3.25, 95% CI 1.72–6.16), and decline in self-rated health (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.16–2.59). Women showed significantly higher HR of depression in the intermediate (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.01–1.87) and low (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.12–1.99) job security group. Male head of household with low job security showed significantly higher HR of depression, suicide ideation, and decline in self-rated health. Non-head-of-household women with intermediate and low job security showed higher risk of depression than those with high job security. Conclusions: We found that perceived job insecurity is associated with the new development of depressive episode, suicide ideation, and decline in self-rated health.