More Flexibility At Work Can Reduce Female Depression

At one exciting point in my 40s, I ran a company with 200 employees. It was part of an American multinational business, and even way back then it was forward-looking in terms of employee job satisfaction.

- Dr Miriam Stoppard

It was down to me to ensure we looked after staff working conditions as we knew performance improved.

So, I confess I’m surprised that only now, decades on, research has demonstrated for the first time the link between job quality, working conditions and mental health for women in UK workplaces.

This topic has been widely discussed but is poorly documented.

The study on female workers here is the first evidence that improvements in job quality – particularly increased flexibility and autonomy – lead to substantial reductions in depression and anxiety.