"BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine if dissatisfaction with psychosocial work climate predicts psychiatrically diagnosed depressive, anxiety and substance abuse disorders.METHODS: In Aarhus County, Denmark, 13 423 public service employees at 683 workplace units answered a questionnaire survey assessing psychosocial work environment. An average workplace unit score of overall satisfaction with psychosocial working conditions, rated on a scale from 0-10 with 10 being most satisfied, was computed and assigned to the individual employees at each work unit. Aggregated satisfaction scores were divided into three levels, according to the 25-75 percentiles. Data on hospitalisations and outpatient treatments for depressive, anxiety and substance abuse disorders was obtained from the Danish Central Psychiatric Research Register. HRs and 95% CIs were computed for first onset of studied disorders, starting from the baseline survey at 1 January 2002 through to 30 April 2008. Risk estimates were adjusted for sociodemographic variables.RESULTS: A low satisfaction with psychosocial working conditions was associated with an increased risk of any mental health disorder, HR(adj) 1.71, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.82. The lower the satisfaction level, the higher was the risk of mental health disorders. Moreover, substance abuse disorders were more frequent among men dissatisfied with work climate, HR(adj) 3.53, 95% CI 1.55 to 8.03.CONCLUSION: Working in a dissatisfying psychosocial environment increases the risk of subsequent mental health disorders. Randomised, controlled intervention trials may help in resolving whether this association is causal."

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