The Relationship Between Psychological Distress, Precarious Employment, and Unpaid Work Hours in Japanese Adults: Generalized Linear Mixed Model Using Longitudinal Survey of Adults in the 21st Century

AI Summary

Regular permanent employment associated with reduced psychological distress in women (aRR 0.90); no significant association observed in men.
Unpaid work hours showed no main effect, but longer unpaid hours attenuated employment benefits for women via negative additive interaction.
Policy response must go beyond job security to address gendered unpaid work, promote work-life balance, and redistribute domestic responsibilities.

AI Summary

This study examined the relationships between psychological distress, employment status, and unpaid work in Japan, where women often engage in precarious work and bear the majority of unpaid work. For women, an additive negative interaction was observed between employment status and unpaid work hours (relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI] = -0.12, 95% CI: [-0.22, -0.02] for precarious work × 3rd quartile of unpaid work hours; RERI = -0.15, 95% CI: [-0.28, -0.02] for precarious work × 4th quartile unpaid work). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the mental health benefits of regular employment for women are attenuated by longer unpaid work hours, highlighting the "dual burden" of paid work and disproportionate domestic responsibilities.

Basic summary

Am J Ind Med. 2026 May 28. doi: 10.1002/ajim.70096. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that precarious employment harms mental health, but the association when combined with unpaid work remains unexplored. This study examined the relationships between psychological distress, employment status, and unpaid work in Japan, where women often engage in precarious work and bear the majority of unpaid work.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the Longitudinal Survey of Adults in the 21st Century. Poisson regression analysis with robust standard errors was conducted using a mixed-effects model stratified by gender to calculate adjusted risk ratios (aRR). Additionally, sensitivity analyses were performed by altering the outcome’s cutoff point.

RESULTS: The risk of psychological distress decreased with regular permanent employment for women (aRR = 0.90, 95% CI = [0.85, 0.96]), while no significant association was observed for men (aRR = 0.93, 95% CI = [0.86, 1.01]). Unpaid work hours showed no main effects. For women, an additive negative interaction was observed between employment status and unpaid work hours (relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI] = -0.12, 95% CI: [-0.22, -0.02] for precarious work × 3rd quartile of unpaid work hours; RERI = -0.15, 95% CI: [-0.28, -0.02] for precarious work × 4th quartile unpaid work).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the mental health benefits of regular employment for women are attenuated by longer unpaid work hours, highlighting the “dual burden” of paid work and disproportionate domestic responsibilities. Consequently, policies aimed solely at increasing job security are insufficient. To improve public mental health, interventions must simultaneously address the gender disparity in unpaid work by promoting work-life balance and redistributing domestic loads.

PMID:42207004 | DOI:10.1002/ajim.70096

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