Psykosociala faktorer i arbets- och privatliv och dess samband med olika stressrelaterade symtom samt psykisk ohälsa bland kvinnor och män : En tvärsnittstudie - vid fakulteten för hälso- och livsvetenskap 

Sammanfattning: Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the psychosocial factors in work- and private life and its correlation with various stress-related symptoms and ill health among employees at a faculty at the Linnaeus University. The goal was also to analyze whether there was a gender difference in these health parameters associated with a difference in psychosocial work and home conditions between women and men. Method: Data were collected through a questionnaire were the responders answered questions about demand, control and social support which emanated from Karasek's demand control model. Their professional position was determined by their pay-and educational level in accordance with the theory of the social gradient of health. Stress was measured using "SCGP scale" and mental illness with the help of the ”General Health Qestionnarie.” Two regression analyses were conducted, the first to analyze the correlation between psychosocial factors and stress-related symptoms and the other to analyze the correlation between psychosocial factors and mental ilness. Results: High demand, low control, low social support and lower professional position had a strong relationship (p<0,000)  with both stress-related symptoms ( R = 0,49) and mental illness ( R = 0,56) even after controlling for confounders.The strongest own relationship (when the overlap effects between different variables was taken into account) were found between high demands and stress-related symptoms (standardized beta 0.35) and high demands and mental illness (standardized beta 0.38). Conclusion: Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study causal inferences cannot be made. However the results showed that high demand, low control and low social support together had a strong correlation with stress-related ill-health. Furthermore, the study showed no gender differences in the psychosocial factors which is a likely explanation for the fact that there was no difference between men and women in neither stress related symptoms or mental illness. This is an important and positive finding because of the fact that the result indicates that differences in health between men and women is reduced when they have equal opportunities in work and private life.