En 2015, l’Organisation mondiale de la santé a reconnu la dépression comme étant la première cause d’incapacité dans le monde. Ce problème de santé publique a des répercussions potentielles sur le milieu du travail.

Le but de cette étude était, entre autres, d’explorer les liens possibles entre les stresseurs professionnels et la présence de troubles mentaux courants. En recourant à une méthode de trajectoire de vie, les événements survenus dans la sphère du travail et ceux survenus dans d’autres sphères de vie ont été documentés.

Deux groupes ont été comparés : un groupe de personnes ayant éprouvé des troubles mentaux courants au cours des cinq dernières années et un groupe de personnes n’ayant éprouvé aucun problème de santé mentale au cours des cinq dernières années. Les données de cette étude pilote ont été récoltées au cours d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès de 58 participants.

Les personnes ayant été atteintes d’au moins un trouble mental courant ont significativement plus de difficultés générales au travail ainsi que plus de relations de travail difficiles avec les employeurs, en comparaison avec les personnes sans trouble mental. Cependant, peu de différences significatives ont été observées entre les groupes par rapport aux difficultés dans d’autres sphères de vie.

Il est possible que les stresseurs professionnels jouent un rôle important dans l’apparition de troubles mentaux courants. De ce fait, le milieu de travail s’avère un environnement tout désigné pour déployer des stratégies efficaces de promotion de la santé mentale et de prévention des troubles mentaux courants.

According to the World Health Organization, depression has become the leading cause of disability in the world, contributing significantly to the burden of health issues especially in the industrialized countries. This is a major public health problem, with potential impact on work climates, productivity at work and the continued existence of the organizations. Some recent studies have examined potential links between professional factors and common mental health disorders, but none have demonstrated a direct causal link.

In the present study, we explored possible links between work-related stressors and common mental health disorders, with the objective of determining priority mental health prevention axes.

The study used a life trajectory method. We compared professional stressors and difficulties present in other spheres of life in the last five years between two groups: a group of 29 participants with common mental health disorders during the last five years (depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, pathological gambling), and a group of 29 participants who have not experienced a mental health disorder in the last five years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with the participants using a life course analysis method. Each participant was interviewed during two or three meetings of two to three hour duration. Questions regarding difficulties in different spheres of life and mental health were asked. More precisely, data were collected with regards to the presence or absence of mental health disorders in the last five years and the nature of mental health disorders and difficulties. Moreover, we collected data pertaining to the most important positive and negative events in different spheres of life that were present in the last five years, including family life, romantic relationships, social life, academic difficulties, losses and separations, episodes of personal difficulties, financial difficulties as well as protective factors. Regarding professional difficulties present in the last five years, data were collected on different kinds of adversities such as difficulties in finding a job, periods of unemployment, frequent job changes, difficult working conditions, discrimination, difficult working relationships with colleagues and with employers, moral harassment and family–work conflicts.

Participants with common mental health disorders are more concerned about having general professional difficulties at work and about having difficult working relationships with employers. However, difficulties related to other spheres of life do not differentiate the two groups.

It is possible that the work environment is linked to common mental health disorders. In particular, having general professional stressors at the work place and having difficult relationships with employers can impact the occurrence of common mental health disorders. Inversely, these stressors at work can be the consequence of a common mental health disorder. Complementary studies are of interest. Professional stressors can constitute an essential part in the occurrence of common mental health disorders. Thus, the workplace seems a priority environment for deploying effective mental health prevention strategies. Moreover, this can be a strategy for organizations to improve the work climate and to increase productivity.