Correlation among occupational stress, job burnout and depressive symptoms in 2,083 manufacturing workers of China

Background: This study aims to investigate the correlation among occupational stress, job burnout, and depressive symptoms in manufacturing workers of China. Methods A total of 2,083 workers from two manufacturing enterprises in Beijing and four manufacturing enterprises in Guangdong Province were selected as study subjects using judgment sampling method. The occupational stress, job burnout, and depression symptoms were accessed using the Core Occupational Stress Measurement Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale. Results A total of 2,311 questionnaires were distributed, and 2,083 valid questionnaires were collected, with a valid questionnaire recovery rate of 90.1%. The average score of occupational stress among the study subjects was 45.0, and the detection rate of occupational stress was 29.5% (615/2,083). The average score of job burnout was 1.8, and the detection rate of job burnout was 55.8% (1,163/2,083). The average score of depressive symptoms was 6.0, and the detection rate was 15.7% (327/2,083). The depression symptom scores of the study subjects were positively correlated with the organization and reward dimensions, the demand and effort dimensions of occupational stress, and the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions of job burnout ( r S were 0.299, 0.266, 0.648 and 0.637, respectively, all P  < 0.01). They were negatively correlated with the dimension scores of social support and autonomy in occupational stress, and low personal sense of achievement sense in job burnout ( r S were-0.254, །0.019and །0.138, respectively, all P  < 0.01). The four dimensions of occupational stress explained 15.9% of variation in depressive symptoms ( P  < 0.01). The inclusion of the three dimensions of job burnout on the above basis could explain 29.3% of the variation in depressive symptoms ( P  < 0.01). Conclusions Occupational stress among 2,083 manufacturing workers in China not only affected job burnout, but also indirectly affected depressive symptoms. Reducing their occupational stress and job burnout levels could help alleviate their depressive symptoms.