The present project is an effort to expand the Laboratory's research program to the psychological effects of occupational conditions on the development of specific mental disorders. This project uses the Demand/Control (D/C) model of the psychosocial work environment to investigate the relationship between job conditions, alcohol, drug abuse and mental disorders. Data from the NIMH/Epidemiological Catchment Area study, a probability sample in five US metropolitan areas, is used as a source of incident cases of specific mental disorders as assessed by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule/DSM-III. Data analysis includes methods appropriate for nested case-control or case cohort studies such as conditional logistic regression. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis is used to test the dimensional assumptions of the D/C model using a multiple indicators. The primary aim of the project is to investigate the mechanisms by which the psychosocial structure of work environments contributes to the development of mental disorders.
