Workplace stressors as a mediating mechanism between social support and depression among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand: A structural equation modeling approach

TL;DR

The study finds that social support reduces depression among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, but this effect is partly explained by reduced workplace stress.

Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying workplace stressors as a mediator between social support and depression in this specific migrant worker population.

Findings

47% of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand showed signs of depression.

Workplace stressors significantly mediate the relationship between social support and depression.

Improving social support and workplace conditions could reduce depression in this population.

Abstract

•Depression is highly prevalent among migrant workers globally.•Greater social support reduces depression among migrant workers.•Workplace stressors play a mediating role between social support and depression.•Public policies should enhance support and promote healthy workplaces to reduce depression.

Depression is highly prevalent among migrant workers globally.

Greater social support reduces depression among migrant workers.

Workplace stressors play a mediating role between social support and depression.

Public policies should enhance support and promote healthy workplaces to reduce depression.

Depression is a major global public health challenge and a leading cause of disability worldwide, with a particularly high and concerning burden among migrant workers. This research objective is to discover the association between social support and depression, and the mediating role of workplace stressors.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted via simple random sampling among 500 Myanmar migrant workers in nine factories. Workplace stressor, The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12, and The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression were used to collect the data. Mplus version 8.7 was used to construct the structural equation model.

Among 500 total participants, the prevalence of depression was around 47%. The SEM good fit with the data (χ2/df = 3.526, RMSEA = 0.071, CFI = 0.972). Social support had negatively direct effect on workplace stressor (β = 0.175, p < 0.001) as well as on depression (β = 0.078, p < 0.05). Workplace stressor had positively direct effect on depression (β = 0.787, p < 0.001). Social support negatively indirect effect on depression mediating through workplace stressor (β = 0.138, p < 0.001).

These findings indicated that workplace stressors and social support are important variables that effect on depression among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand. Therefore, health policymakers need to adopt some preventive measures for improving social support and creating a healthy working environment for migrant workers.

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