Investigating the association between Work Family Conflict (WFC) and Major Depression Disorder (MDD)

Abstract Objective Aiming to assess the association between Work-Family Conflict (WFC) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) within an Australian middle-aged cohort, addressing gaps in research concerning severe, clinically osis osed depression. Method Utilizing data from Wave 5 of the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project, this study investigates the relationship between WFC and MDD using logistic regression analysis. Results The results showed that participants with high WFC had significantly increased odds of MDD (OR:1.77, CI: 1.11-2.84) when evaluated using the PHQ-9 with a cut-off point of 10, after controlling for a wide range of covariates. Conclusion The study highlights the complex relationship between WFC and depression in an Australian community cohort, revealing that while WFC is linked to severe, clinically important depressive symptom levels, its influence on clinically diagnosed MDD is less definitive.