Louise Bergman Fil.dr

My PhD project encompasse three studies that focus on the health and well-being of self-employed workers, who constitute a growing and significant yet often overlooked group of workers. In these studies, I employ methods that are not commonly utilized within this field. These methods allow me to thoroughly examine assessment tools, study health over extended time periods, and explore life fulfilment.

I engage in additional research projects outside of my thesis work whenever time allows. These projects typically focus on areas such as health and work, self-employed workers, or the statistical methods I utilize, including Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM), multilevel modeling (MLM), and latent profile/latent transition analysis (LPA/LTA).

Feel free to contact me if you want to collaborate!

Phd project

Study 1 Comparing Depressive Symptoms, Emotional Exhaustion, and Sleep Disturbances in Self-Employed and Employed Workers – Application of Approximate Bayesian Measurement Invariance.

In this first study, we used Bayesian structural equation modeling to conduct a thorough examination of common assessment tools used to evaluate mental health in self-employed workers. We aimed to exam the conventional notion that self-employed workers have better health compared to employed workers. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.598303

Study 2 The diversity of health and work satisfaction in self-employed workers – A 6-year longitudinal person-centred analysis study

In the second, we use latent transition analysis (LTA) to study the diversity of health in self-employed workers over time. We set out to understand what different profiles of health exist among self-employed workers, how the self-employed transition between these groups over time, and to study the relationship of entrance, exit and health, taking into account demographics, and individual and psychosocial work-related factors in a novel way, by analysing longitudinal, nationally representative data with latent transition analysis.

Study 3 Comparing self-employed workers and employees' relationships between autonomy and positive affect with a task and person level approach

In the third study, we employed Bayesian multilevel modeling to distinguish between the effects of personal factors and task characteristics related to employment type (self-employed vs. organizationally employed), self-determination, and meaningful work on engagement. Our objective was to gain insights into the underlying reasons behind the typically higher levels of engagement experienced by self-employed workers.