Work-family life courses and psychological distress: Evidence from three British birth cohort studies

(2021) - Anne McMunn, Rebecca Lacey, Diana Worts, Diana Kuh, Peggy McDonough, Amanda Sacker

Journal: Advances in Life Course Research
Link:: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1040260821000289
DOI:: 10.1016/j.alcr.2021.100429
Links::
Tags:: #paper #NCDS #BCS #Health #Transition
Cite Key:: [@mcmunnWorkfamilyLifeCourses2021]

Abstract

This study uses multi-channel sequence analysis to characterize work-family life course types between the ages of 16 and 42, and multivariable logistic regression to examine their association with psychological distress at age 42/43 for men and women in three nationally-representative British birth cohorts born in 1946 (N = 2,858), 1958 (N = 9,140), and 1970 (N = 7,095). We hypothesised that work-family life courses characterized by weaker links to employment and earlier transitions to partnerships and parenthood would be associated with a greater probability of psychological distress at age 42, and that this association would be become more pronounced across cohorts. Levels of psychological distress were higher amongst men and women with weaker long-term ties to employment, although these were largely explained by early life factors. Teen mothers had higher levels of psychological distress in the two later-born cohorts, and this remained unexplained in adjusted models for the 1970 cohort.

Notes

“multi-channel sequence analysis to characterize work-family life course types between the ages of 16 and 42, and multivariable logistic regression to examine their association with psychological distress at age 42/43 for men and women” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 1)

“hesised that work-family life courses characterized by weaker links to employment and earlier transitions to partnerships and parenthood would be associated with a greater probability of psychological distress at age 42, and that this association would be become more pronounced across cohorts” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 1)

“gical distress were higher amongst men and women with weaker long-term ties to employment, although these were largely explained by early life factors” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 1)

“dramatic changes over the past forty years in the nature of work, family and the normative gender divisions between them (public, paid labour for men, unpaid caring and domestic labour for women) steadily eroding (Kan et al., 2011; Perelli-Harris et al., 2017; Office for National Statistics, 2013). This potential move towards ‘gender convergence’ may have implications for the mental health of men and women” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 1)

“In addition, a life course approach allows for the characterisation of multiple states and transitions over time, such as the duration of employment spells or the accumulation of periods of unemployment alongside family transitions such as entry into parenthood or divorce which may act as potential triggers for employment transitions or health events. A life course approach also recognises the role of early life factors in establishing trajectories of advantage and disadvantage as highlighted by the Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage (CAD) framework (Dannefer, 2003; Kendig & Nazroo, 2016; McDonough et al., 2015; O’Rand, 2009), and setting individuals onto psychological, behavioural and biological pathways linking social and material circumstances and health (Bartley, 2004).” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 2)

“childhood socioeconomic circumstances are strongly related to educational attainment, which in turn strongly influences employment trajectories (Lacey et al., 2013; Schoon, 2009; Worts et al., 2013; Xue et al., 2006).” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 2)

“As gender norms have weakened over time, parenthood and partnership place fewer restrictions on women’s employment, although evidence suggests that entry to parenthood continues to trigger a reset in gender relations towards more traditional roles amongst couples (Kuhhirt, 2012; McMunn et al., 2019; Schober, 2013).” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 2)

“For men, change has been slower. While the concept of a ‘family wage’ for fathers has dissipated (Crieghton, 1999), it remains the case that men do not reduce their employment hours in response to parenthood, at least through pre-Millennial cohorts (Harrington et al., 2017), and an inability to participate in employment, such as through unemployment, remains particularly detrimental to men’s mental health (Artazcoz et al., 2004; Strandh et al., 2012).” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 2)

“We examine associations between work-family life course types (LCTs) and psychological symptoms at age 42” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 3)

“The NCDS recruited all babies born in a single week of 1958 (n = 17,415) (Power & Elliott, 2005). Cohort members were surveyed at birth, 7, 11, 16, 23, 33, 42, 44, 46, 50, and 55 years. The BCS recruited all babies born during one week of 1970 (n = 16,571) (Elliott and Shepherd 2006). Cohort members were surveyed at birth, 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34, 38, and 42 years.” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 4)

“Work was categorised as full-time employment, parttime (≤30 h per week), looking after the home and family, or other not employed” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 4)

“Partnership status was categorised as married, cohabiting or not living with a partner. Parental status was defined as youngest child in the household <5 years, youngest child in the household aged 5–16 years, or no children in the household/youngest child >16 year” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 4)

“work, partnerships, and parental status were cross-classified to produce 26 annual work-family state variables” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 4)

“Educational attainment was the highest qualification achieved by early adulthood (age 26 in the NSHD and BCS, and age 23 in the NCDS). The variable was categorised as no qualifications, Ordinary-level (O-level) equivalent, Advanced-level (A-level) equivalent, or degree or higher qualification” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 4)

“MCSA uses whole work–family life courses as the unit of analysis (Barban & Billari, 2012) and compares each sequence to all others in the dataset and measures of the distinctness (or similarity) of individuals’ biographical sequences (Abbot & Tsay, 2000) using distance measures representing the “cost” (reflecting the number of substitutions and insertions or deletions needed) of converting one to another (MacIndoe & Abbott, 2004).” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 5)

“This study accounted for missing data in two stages. First, missing information on work, partnerships and children in the household was imputed using an approach developed by Halpin (2013) prior to running the sequence analysis” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 5)

“prior to running the regression analyses, missing information was accounted for using multiple imputation by chained equations in the 20 datasets. We employed the method of multiple imputation followed by deletion, whereby information on all analysis variables was imputed for all participants but only those with observed information on psychological distress at age 42/43 were retained for analysis (Von Hippel, 2007).” (McMunn et al., 2021, p. 5)