Association of Job Insecurity and Mental Health Outcomes Among Gig Economy Workers in Lagos and Abuja

The gig economy's rapid expansion in Nigeria has created a large workforce with heightened job insecurity exposure that falls outside traditional occupational health protection frameworks. This analytical cross-sectional study examined the association between job insecurity and mental health outcomes among gig economy workers in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria. Three hundred and sixty gig workers, including rideshare drivers, food delivery couriers, freelance digital workers, and domestic service platform workers, were recruited through purposive sampling via platform operator collaboration. Job insecurity was assessed using the Vander Elst Job Insecurity Scale, and mental health outcomes were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. Depression prevalence was 38.1 percent and anxiety was 41.4 percent, both significantly higher than Nigerian general population norms. High job insecurity scores were independently associated with depression (OR: 4.87) and anxiety (OR: 5.12) after controlling for socioeconomic covariates. Income unpredictability, lack of social protection, and platform algorithm opacity were the dominant job insecurity mechanisms in qualitative sub-interviews. Social support and financial savings buffers were significant protective factors. This study generates novel evidence on occupational mental health vulnerability in Nigeria's gig economy and recommends regulatory frameworks for gig worker social protection, occupational mental health awareness campaigns, and peer support networks facilitated through platform operators. Keywords: gig economy, job insecurity, mental health, depression, occupational health policy.