Working Conditions as Risk Factors for Depressive Symptoms among Spanish-Speaking Au Pairs Living in Germany-Longitudinal Study.

Previous studies have shown poor working conditions and poor mental health among au pairs. However, there are limited longitudinal approaches to these conditions. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to assess the occurrence of depressive symptoms longitudinally and to analyze the association between sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions and violence at work with depressive symptoms over time among Spanish-speaking au pairs living in Germany. A prospective cohort study was performed with three measurement intervals, which included 189 participants. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models were implemented to estimate the association between predictors and depressive symptoms. Au pairs who worked >40 h per week were more than three times more likely to experience depression than those who did not (OR: 3.47; 95% CI: 1.46-8.28). In addition, those exposed to physical violence were almost five times more likely to suffer from depression (OR: 4.95; 95% CI: 2.16-9.75), and au pairs who had bad schedule adaptation to social and family commitments had twice the risk of depression than those who did not (OR: 2.24; 95% CI: 0.95-5.28). This knowledge could be of interest for future au pairs, host families, au pair agencies and policy makers. Together, they could improve awareness and monitoring of au pair working conditions.

Major Depressive Syndrome (MDS) and its Association with Time of Residence among Spanish Speaking Au-Pairs Living in Germany.

The number of au-pairs in Germany is on the rise. In 2017, about 13,500 au-pairs were living in German families, almost half of them originating from non-European Union (EU) countries and many of them from Spanish speaking countries. Knowledge about mental health among au-pairs in Germany is limited. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of Major Depressive Syndrome (MDS) and its potential association with time of residence among Spanish speaking au-pairs living in Germany via an exploratory analysis. This study included a sample of 409 Spanish speaking au-pairs living in Germany. We classified the au-pairs into those who lived less than three weeks in Germany (newcomer au-pairs) and those who lived more than three weeks (experienced au-pairs). The participants were recruited by an online survey (Facebook and Instagram) from August 2018 to June 2019. Socio-demographic characteristics, time of residence in Germany and the level of education were assessed. MDS was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9). Poisson regression models were calculated to evaluate the association between time of residence in Germany and prevalence of MDS. Most of the participants were female (91%). Almost half of them came from Colombia (48%) and were in the age range between 22-24 years (40%). Prevalence of MDS was 8% among newcomers and 19% among experienced au-pairs (p = 0.002). Differences remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (age, level of education and time of residence in Germany) (prevalence ratio 2.25; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-4.14). In conclusion, au-pairs may develop mental symptoms during their time abroad. Future prospective studies should aim at identifying potential risk factors and preventive measures.

Working Below Skill Level as Risk Factor for Distress Among Latin American Migrants Living in Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study.

About 84,710 Latin American migrants currently live in Germany. Knowledge about their work situation in relation to their skill level and its association with mental health is limited. Therefore, the aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of working below skill level and its association with the prevalence of distress in Latin Americans living in Germany. This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 282 Latin American migrants living in Germany. Participants were recruited by a short online (Facebook, personal contacts) or interview-based questionnaire from November 2015 to April 2016. Questions included skill level, job category (categorized by ISCO 2008 code), socio-demographics, violence at the workplace and distress. The latter was assessed by Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire using a cut-off of 4/5. Descriptive statistics were followed by logistic regression analyses adjusting for potential confounders. About half of the study population reported symptoms of distress (45%). 63% of the population worked below skill level. 12-months prevalence of violence at the workplace was 14%. After adjustment, working below skill level was statistically significantly related to distress (odds ratio 2.80; 95% confidence interval 1.58-4.95). Working below skill level is common in Latin American migrants in Germany and may result in poor psychosocial well-being.