The association between Work-Family Conflict (WFC) and mental health in Australian context

Abstract

Background In light of significant changes in employment structures and family dynamics in Australia, work-family conflict (WFC) has become recognised as a major psychosocial stressor. In recent decades, the Australian labour market has seen growing work demands, an increasing number of dual-income families, and extensive underemployment and instability in employment. While previous studies have consistently linked WFC to general psychological distress, much of this work has been concentrated within the occupational health or parenting literature, often relying on self-reported distress measures. There remains limited epidemiological research examining the associations between WFC and clinically diagnosed mental disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), as well as suicidal ideation. Purpose This thesis investigates the associations between WFC and a range of mental health indicators among Australian adults, with a focus on the most commonly experienced clinically diagnosable disorders. Moving beyond prior research that has largely focused solely on parent populations (mostly mothers) and specific workplaces/occupations, this thesis adopts a broader epidemiological perspective to examine how varying levels of WFC contribute to the development of serious and commonly experienced mental health conditions, specifically MDD, GAD, and suicidal ideation. Methods The study draws on data from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project, an ongoing, community-based longitudinal study aimed at evaluating life-course patterns. Specifically, Wave 5 data from the '20s' cohort were utilized in this thesis. Measures of WFC and CIDI disorder diagnosis were introduced in Wave 5 and this cohort is particularly relevant given their exposure to midlife stressors involving career progression, parenting responsibilities, and caregiving for ageing relatives. The final analytical sample utilised throughout all studies in this thesis included 1,312 employed individuals. Results This thesis found that higher levels of WFC are linked to poorer mental health outcomes for mid-life working individuals, including greater symptom severity of depression and anxiety. WFC emerged as an important and independent risk factor for common mental health disorders and suicidal ideation. Specifically, individuals experiencing higher WFC reported significantly greater depressive symptom severity and greater anxiety symptoms (Study 1). Further, participants with high levels of WFC had significantly increased odds of meeting criteria for MDD when evaluated using the PHQ-9 with a clinically validated cut-off point of 10 (Study 2). For GAD, high WFC was associated with increased odds of both PHQ-defined clinical anxiety and DSM-IV-defined GAD (Study 3). In addition, individuals with high WFC had significantly greater odds of reporting active suicidal ideation (Study 4). Conclusion This thesis, and the published studies included, incorporates knowledge from the work-family literature with an epidemiological framework to provide detailed evidence about the association between WFC and commonly experienced serious mental health problems in Australian workers - ranging from psychological symptoms to clinical conditions such as GAD and MDD, and suicidal ideation. The thesis findings suggest that WFC is harmful for mental health - it is not only associated with psychological distress, but also more serious diagnosable mental health conditions. The findings highlight the specific mental health risks associated with high WFC exposure for midlife Australian adults separate to other socio-demographics and/or psychosocial stressors experienced at work and home. They underscore the importance of including work-family conflict/balance in mental health screening, preventive interventions, and occupational health management - not only for women or parents, but all employees. Show more