Work characteristics and social phobia in a nationally representative employed sample.

Objective: Social phobia is associated with long-term impairment and disability. Environmental and genetic influences may be important in etiology and persistence. This is the first study to examine the association of work characteristics with social phobia in a representative nationally employed population.

Method: Self-reported work characteristics were linked to 12-month social phobia diagnosed by the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview in 24 324 employed individuals from the Canadian Community Health Survey.

Results: High job strain (OR = 1.62, 95%CI, 1.06 to 2.49) and job insecurity (OR = 2.47, 95%CI, 1.73 to 3.51) were associated with an increased risk of 12-month social phobia, adjusting for sociodemographic variables, prevalent depression, and other work characteristics.

Conclusions: Work characteristics are associated with social phobia. Characteristics such as job insecurity may be a consequence of illness in employed populations, while high job strain may increase the risk of symptoms. More investigation is needed of the relation between work and social phobia to understand how to reduce occupational disability.