Zhang, R P; Bowen, P and Edwards, P (2023) Determinants of depressive symptoms among male construction workers in Cape Town, South Africa. In: Tutesigensi, A and Neilson, C J (eds.) Proceedings of 39th Annual ARCOM Conference, 4-6 September 2023, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Abstract
Individuals working in the construction industry are at a high risk of depression. This study investigates which groups of construction workers are more susceptible to depression through examining the associations between the prevalence of depressive symptoms and demographic factors, social and work-related factors, and behavioural factors. Data were collected from 496 male construction workers drawn from 18 construction sites in the Western Cape. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the data. The results show that Black African construction workers experience lower levels of depressive symptoms compared to 'Other' ethnicities. Workers who are single or live with other adults without children experience significantly higher risk of depression compared to workers who are married or in a long relationship or live alone. The study also revealed that substance use is associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, suggesting that construction workers use substance as a coping strategy for short-term depression reduction. Practical suggestions are provided to protect the mental health of construction workers who are more vulnerable to depression.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | depression; determinants; male construction workers; South Africa |
| Index terms: | depression, children, strategy, construction site, demographic factor, logistic regression analysis, coping, mental health, construction worker, South Africa, determinant, construction industry |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, statistical analysis, behavioral psychology, demography, health conditions and diseases, Geography, management, work location, practitioner, risk assessment |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Site Management, Business Strategy, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Risk Management, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here