@article{ref1,
title="Organisational merger and psychiatric morbidity: a prospective study in a changing work organisation",
journal="Journal of epidemiology and community health",
year="2011",
author="Väänänen, Ari and Ahola, Kirsi and Koskinen, Aki and Pahkin, Krista and Kouvonen, Anne",
volume="65",
number="8",
pages="682-687",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Prospective studies on the relationship between organisational merger and mental health have been conducted using subjective health indicators. The objective of this prospective occupational cohort study was to examine whether a negative change during an organisational merger is an independent predictive factor of psychiatric morbidity. METHOD: Survey data on organisational characteristics, health and other factors were collected prior to (1996) and after the merger (2000); register data on psychiatric morbidity were collected at baseline (1/1/1994-30/9/2000) and during the follow-up (1/10/2000-31/12/2005). Participants were 6511 (77% men) industrial employees aged 21-65&emsp14;years with no register-based diagnosed psychiatric events prior to the follow-up (the Still Working Study). During the follow-up, 252 participants were admitted to the hospital due to psychiatric disorders, were prescribed a psychotropic drug or attempted or committed suicide. RESULTS: A negative self-reported change in the work organisation during the merger was associated with increased risk of postmerger psychiatric event (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.14). This association was independent of mental health-related factors measured before the merger announcement, such as demographic characteristics, occupational status, personal orientation to life, self-rated health, self-reported psychiatric morbidity or chronic disease. CONCLUSION: A negative change in work organisation during an organisational merger may elevate the risk for postmerger psychiatric morbidity.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0143-005X",
doi="10.1136/jech.2010.126482",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2010.126482"
}