Does Self-Employment Increase Stress? A Co-Twin Control Analysis of Finnish and US Twins.
Journal
Journal of Business Venturing
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2026
Author(s)
Abstract
Entrepreneurs enjoy autonomy and work on projects they are passionate about, which may improve their mental well-being and reduce stress. At the same time, they face several potential stressors, including long working hours. Empirical evidence on whether those who engage in self-employment experience greater stress than those who do not is mixed, which could reflect the failure to consider self-selection into entrepreneurial careers. In this paper, we re-examine the relationship between self-employment and stress, over and above the self-selection bias of individuals’ predispositions, using two separate studies of monozygotic twins. In the first study (monozygotic twins from Finland), stress is reported as a perceptual measure. In the second study (monozygotic twins from the United States), we measure cortisol as a physiological indicator of stress. In both studies, we show a positive association between self-employment and stress (both perceived and physiological) above and beyond the impact of genetic and rearing factors. We also show that long working hours mediate the relationship between self-employment and stress.
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Volume
41
Number
106556
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Name
Stress paper Souitaris et al 2026 JBV published.pdf
Size
736.24 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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