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Early job satisfaction has the strongest influence on mental health

Job satisfaction in your late 20s and 30s has a link with overall health in your early 40s, according to a new study. While job satisfaction has some impact on physical health, the effect was especially strong for mental health, the researchers found. Those who were less satisfied with their work early in their careers said they were more depressed, anxious and had more trouble sleeping. And the direction of your job satisfaction — whether it gets better or worse in early career — affects your later health, the study found. The good news is that the people whose job satisfaction started low but got better over the course of their careers don't have the health problems associated with consistently low or declining satisfaction.