Persistent inequality: evolution of psychosocial exposures at work among the salaried population in Spain between 2005 and 2016

To assess the prevalence of poor mental health and of exposure to psychosocial risks among the working population in Spain in 2005, 2010 and 2016; to analyse the associations between workplace psychosocial exposures and mental health problems according to gender and occupation. Three representative samples of the Spanish working population were analysed, in 2005 (n = 7,023), 2010 (n = 4,979), and 2016 (n = 1,807). Prevalence ratios between mental health and the five dimensions – job demands, job control, social support, employment insecurity and insecurity over working conditions—were estimated using multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regressions. All the analyses were separated by gender and occupation. In 2016, there were improvements in job control, job demands and social support, and deteriorations in employment insecurity and insecurity over working conditions. The risk of poor mental health among manual workers rose if they were exposed to high demands, low social support and high employment insecurity; among non-manual workers, the risk increased if they were exposed to high demands, low control, low social support and high insecurity over working conditions. There were no differences according to gender. The new findings shed light on the evolution of the working conditions and health of the wage-earning population in Spain over the last 11 years. The stratification by gender and occupational group is relevant, since it allows a detailed analysis of the social disparities in the associations between psychosocial risks and mental health. The most vulnerable groups can be identified and preventive measures developed at source.