Depression, anxiety-insomnia, somatic subscales and body-complaints in welders working in a factory in Tehran in 2016.

Subject: Mood disorders Objective: Welding is one of the most hard and harmful jobs. There are only a few studies about simultaneous relationships of general health, physical and mental complaints in Iranian welders. We aimed to evaluate possible associations among general health subscales (Somatic, Anxiety-Insomnia, Social, Severe Depression( and body problems in different areas in welders working in a factory in Tehran in 2016. Method: This is a cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical aspects that has been performed in 2016. Subjects included 100 welders working in Building Heavy Metal Structures Factory in Tehran. We used a census method containing General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28 question, 4 Subscales) and General Nordic Questionnaire including questions about complaints in 9 distinct anatomic body areas was used. Nordic questionnaire contained questions about past 7 days (acute) and past 12 months (chronic) physical problems. Results: There were significant differences in severe depression scale of welders who had acute elbow ((mean difference (MD): 1.14±0.24, p=0.000)), acute foot (MD: 1.04±0.35, p=0.003), chronic femur (MD: 8.75±0.350, p=0.015) and chronic foot (MD: 1.15±0.513, p=0.032) problems compared with welders who did not have these problems. Anxiety/insomnia scale had significant difference in welders with acute neck complaints (MD: 2.181±0.571, p=0.005) compared with welders who have not these problems. There were also significant differences in somatic sub-scale of welders with acute neck (MD: 1.443±0.487, p=0.013), acute back (MD: 1.322±0.508, p=0.018) problems compared with welders who did not have these problems. Total GHQ score positively correlated (Pearson, correlation coefficient=0.242, p=0.015) with working duration. Also a significant positive correlation (Pearson, correlation coefficient=0.331, p=0.001) between working duration and anxiety/insomnia scale was observed. Conclusion: We concluded that severe depression was the most affected subscale. Lower limb problems were the most important areas affecting depression. Acute and chronic foot problem, acute food and chronic femur complaints are associated with severe depression. Acute neck problem was associated with anxiety-insomnia. Acute neck and back complaints enhanced somatic subscales. Reducing working duration may improve welder’s general health and anxiety-insomnia.

, Welders .Depression; Anxiety-insomnia; Somatic; General Health Questionnaire; General Nordic Questionnaire;