Table 1 Prevalence (%) of economic hardship (inability to pay for ordinary bills, lack of cash reserves, low household income & a combined economic hardships measure), demographic and socioeconomic variables and mental health problems (GHQ12-psycoholocal distress, severe anxiety & use of antidepressant medication) (the Swedish National Public Health Survey 2009).

Exposure

% (n)

% (n)

Inability to pay ordinary bills

No

85.7 % (19675)

82.4 % (23048)

Yes

14.3 % (3275)

17.6 % (4931)

(Missing)

(203)

(282)

<.0001

Lack of cash reserves

No

83.6 % (19167)

76.7 % (21407)

Yes

16.4 % (3771)

23.3 % (6512)

(Missing)

(215)

(342)

<.0001

Low household income

No

83.2 % (19179)

77.5 % (21813)

Yes

16.8 % (3865)

22.5 % (6349)

(Missing)

(91)

(99)

<.0001

Combined economic hardships measure

None

67.5 % (15627)

57.8 % (16326)

Mild

20.9 % (4834)

25.6 % (7225)

Severe

8.6 % (1996)

12.6 % (3560)

Very severe

3.0 % (695)

4.1 % (1149)

(Missing)

(509)

(723)

<.0001

Background factors

Age (years)

16-29

16.2 % (3746)

17.4 % (4906)

30-44

22.9 % (5304)

24.0 % (6768)

45-64

36.1 % (8367)

35.8 % (10119)

<.0001

65-84

24.8 % (5736)

22.9 % (6468)

(Missing)

(0)

(0)

Country of birth

Sweden

88.5 % (13172)

87.7 % (16074)

OECD (Other Nordic, Europe, North America)

7.7 % (1151)

8.6 % (1572)

Other (Asia, Latin America, Africa)

3.8 % (563)

3.8 % (692)

(Missing)

(8267)

(9923)

<0.0210

Educational level

High

17.9 % (10125)

21.8 % (5611)

Intermediate

34.1 % (7183)

33 % (8492)

Low

48.0 % (5772)

45.1 % (11605)

<.0001

(Missing)

(2073)

(2553)

Occupational status

Non-manual workers

36.8 % (7982)

36.2 % (9470)

Lower non-manual workers

9.4 % (2034)

17.8 % (4643)

Workers

41.9 % (9079)

37.8 % (9869)

Farmers and self-employed

7.4 % (1601)

3.1 % (807)

Unclassified occupational status

4.6 % (995)

5.2 % (1346)

(Missing)

(1462)

(2126)

<.0001

Employment status

Employed

57.1 % (12769)

54.1 % (14636)

Other activities (students, parental leave etc.)

38.4 % (8590)

41.3 % (11174)

Unemployed

4.4 % (988)

4.7 % (1265)

(Missing)

(806)

(1186)

<.0001

Living alone (with or without children)

No

69.5 % (15722)

65.8 % (18201)

Yes

30.5 % (6901)

34.2 % (9442)

(Missing)

(530)

(618)

<.0001

Long term illness

No

91.0 % (20755)

89.1 % (24723)

Yes

9.0 % (2048)

10.9 % (3035)

(Missing)

(350)

(503)

<.0001

Health outcomes

Psychological distress (GHQ12)

No

86.1 % (19858)

81.0 % (22546)

Yes

13.9 % (3196)

19.0 % (5596)

(Missing)

(99)

(119)

<.0001

Severe anxiety

No

96.5 % (21911)

94.2 % (26111)

Yes

3.5 % (805)

5.8 % (1607)

(Missing)

(437)

(543)

<.0001

Use of antidepressant medications

No

95.1 % (15441)

91.0 % (26671)

Yes

4.9 % (788)

9.0 % (1810)

(Missing)

(16924)

(8179)

<.0001