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Psychosocial adversities at work are associated with poorer quality marriage-like relationships

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Abstract

The characteristics of work have an impact on individuals’ personal lives, including on health and close personal relationships. Previous research into the negative spillover effects from work to marital quality has predominantly examined structural job characteristics, such as job hours and shift work. This study used data from a large representative community sample of midlife (aged 40–44 at baseline) employed persons in marriage-like relationships (n = 2,054) to investigate the relationship between psychosocial job characteristics and relationship quality. Data from three waves of the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Survey were analysed. The results show that all psychosocial job adversities (high job demands, low job control, and job insecurity) were independently associated with lower levels of positive support from partners for both men and women. In addition, there was a linear relationship between the number of psychosocial adversities reported and lower levels of positive support from partners. These findings are relevant to policy makers in the areas of employment and family services. They identify the potential broader social costs of adverse psychosocial characteristics at work. This study sets the scene for further longitudinal research to examine the causal links between psychosocial job quality and relationship quality.

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Notes

  1. The term ‘marriage-like relationship’ encompasses both married and cohabiting individuals.

  2. The term ‘relationship quality’ refers to the quality of marriage like relationships (both cohabiting and marriage), whereas the term ‘marital quality’ is restricted to those in a formal marriage.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for the PATH study was provided by Program Grants no. 179805 and no. 418039 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australia. Author 2 is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Award no. 525410. We wish to thank the Chief Investigators of the PATH study for their contributions: Kaarin Anstey, Helen Christensen, Simon Easteal, Anthony Jorm, Andrew Mackinnon and Perminder Sachdev. We would also like to thank Trish Jacomb, Karen Maxwell and the PATH interviews and participants for assistance with the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Epidemiology and Social Issues Unit, Centre for Research on Ageing, Health and Wellbeing, The Australian National University, Building 63, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Liana S. Leach & Peter Butterworth

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  1. Liana S. Leach
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  2. Peter Butterworth
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Correspondence to Liana S. Leach.

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Leach, L.S., Butterworth, P. Psychosocial adversities at work are associated with poorer quality marriage-like relationships. J Pop Research 29, 351–372 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-012-9088-3

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