Abstract
Purpose
Studies have found considerable heterogeneity in the links between employment and
mental health, finding that certain work conditions, such as nonstandard schedules
and low job quality, are linked with poorer mental health. One largely overlooked
facet of work is multiple job holding. In this article, we examine the link between
multiple job holding and mental health among low-income mothers.
Methods
We used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 7,844 person-wave observations), a longitudinal cohort study (1999–2016) of mostly
low-income mothers in 20 large U.S. cities, to examine the link between multiple job
holding and maternal depression and life dissatisfaction.
Results
Across a number of different model specifications, we find that multiple job holding
is associated with higher probabilities of depression (3–4 percentage points higher).
We also find some weaker evidence that multiple job holding is associated with life
dissatisfaction (2–4 percentage points higher). When we include measures of job quality
and intensity, we continue to see an independent association between multiple job
holding and mental health. We also find that the associations between multiple job
holding and depression/life dissatisfaction are strongest for mothers who also work
45 hours or more per week, work nonstandard schedules, and have lower earnings.
Conclusions
Our study suggests that multiple job holding is associated with a greater likelihood
of experiencing depression and somewhat associated with greater life dissatisfaction
and should be considered by mental health practitioners and researchers seeking to
understand drivers of depression.
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Biography
Angela Bruns, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow, University of Michigan Population Studies Center. Her research examines how social inequality impacts the health/economic well-being of low-income women and their families. She focuses on families' interactions with the labor market and mass incarceration.
Biography
Natasha Pilkauskas, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan. Her research examines how public policies can improve the lives of low-income people, and in particular children.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 01, 2019
Accepted:
January 28,
2019
Received in revised form:
January 25,
2019
Received:
August 29,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc.
