Sources of stress experienced by occupational therapists and social workers in mental health settings

This study examined the sources of stress experienced by occupational therapists and social workers employed in Australian public mental health services and identified the demographic and work-related factors related to stress using a cross-sectional survey design. Participants provided demographic and work-related information and completed the Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale. The overall response rate to the survey was 76.6%, consisting of 196 occupational therapists and 108 social workers. Results indicated that lack of resources, relationships and conflicts with other professionals, workload, and professional self-doubt were correlated with increased stress. Working in case management was associated with stress caused by client-related difficulties, lack of resources, and professional self-doubt. The results of this study suggest that Australian occupational therapists and social workers experience stress, with social workers reporting slightly more overall stress than occupational therapists.     

某海洋采油平台作业工人职业紧张反应状况

[目的]了解海洋采油平台作业工人的职业紧张水平及职业紧张反应的特征,分析其职业紧张反应的影响因素。[方法]于2012年9月采取整群抽样的方法抽取海洋采油平台的所有在班工作的134名男性工人作为观察组,167名非海上平台作业的男性油田工人作为对照组。运用职业紧张量表修订版（OSI—R）进行调查。[结果]海洋采油平台作业人员的职业紧张及职业紧张反应得分均高于对照组,应对资源得分低于对照组,由自然环境引起的职业紧张评分均值（33．18）以及心理紧张反应评分均值（27．50）均高于参比人群。海洋采油平台作业工人职业紧张反应水平受职业紧张及应对资源的影响,职业紧张可增加职业紧张反应,应对资源可降低职业紧张反应。职业紧张中的角色界限不清、任务不足及自然环境,个人应对资源中的自我保健,个体特征中的学历是影响职业紧张反应水平的主要因素。[结论]海洋采油平台作业工人具有较高的职业紧张反应水平,应结合职业紧张反应水平的影响因素有针对性地对平台作业工人开展健康促进工作。     

某电子厂接触噪声工人职业紧张与精神卫生状况调查

目的 探讨电子厂接触噪声工人职业紧张和精神卫生状况。
方法 采用麦克林职业紧张问卷和一般健康问卷, 采取整群抽样调查法对某电子厂183名工人进行调查, 回收有效问卷172份, 其中95份问卷来自接触噪声工人, 为接噪组; 77份来自非接噪工人, 为对照组。
结果 噪声岗位噪声声级为85.0~89.5 dB (A)。接噪组工人精神卫生得分异常率为67.3%, 对照组为18.2%。接噪组在职业紧张问卷中的职业紧张程度、应付能力、工作满意感和普通健康问卷中的精神卫生等方面的得分异常率均高于对照组, 差异有统计学意义(P < 0.05)。接噪组精神卫生状况总得分为(28.9 ±3.7)分, 高于对照组的(25.9 ±3.8)分, 差异有统计学意义(P < 0.01)。多元线性回归分析显示, 工人精神卫生的可能影响因素为是否接触噪声和应付能力的大小(F=10.45, R2=0.362, P < 0.05)。
结论 噪声可致工人职业紧张, 同时引发工人精神卫生方面的负面影响, 应该引起企业充分重视。
     

绵阳市涪城区乡村卫生人员工作压力、工作倦怠与工作满意度调查

目的了解绵阳市涪城区基层卫生人员工作压力、工作倦怠和工作满意度状况,为相关部门制定和完善有关政策提供参考依据。方法采用文献研究与问卷调查相结合的方式进行了调查。结果调查对象中,95.9%的卫生人员都感到有不同程度的工作压力;有明显的工作倦怠感的占相当比例（83.8%）;工作满意度调查中有超过半数（58.1%）的卫生人员为＂基本满意＂。工作压力、工作倦怠和工作满意度三者之间存在一定关联。结论卫生人员的工作压力需要一定缓解;卫生人员的工作倦怠需要有效干预;卫生人员的工作满意度有待进一步提高。     

职业紧张对新疆石油工人睡眠质量、糖皮质激素浓度的影响

目的 调查新疆某地石油工人职业紧张、睡眠质量现状,检测糖皮质激素（glucocorticoid,GC）浓度,初步探讨职业紧张对睡眠质量、GC浓度的影响。方法 使用付出-回报失衡量表、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表对新疆某地1 620名石油工人进行问卷调查,随机选取172人进行GC浓度测定,并对数据进行分析。结果 石油工人工作环境中存在较多的噪声、粉尘等职业病危害因素。男性、井下作业、吸烟、饮酒的石油工人职业紧张发生率较高（P <0.05）。logistic回归分析结果显示：不同工种、倒班作业、职业紧张、饮酒是睡眠障碍的独立影响因素（P <0.05）,其中工种为井下作业、输油、采油发生睡眠障碍的风险分别是钻井的1.73、2.49、2.41倍,倒班工人睡眠障碍发生率是不倒班的1.80倍,职业紧张程度高的工人睡眠障碍发生率是职业紧张程度低的工人的1.92倍,饮酒者发生睡眠障碍是不饮酒者的1.29倍。睡眠障碍情况不同人员的GC浓度差异无统计学意义（P> 0.05）。职业紧张程度越高,GC浓度也越高（P <0.05）。结论 石油工人职业紧张程度较高,睡眠质量不佳,和其工作性质密切...     

深圳市女性外来务工者人口学特征对职业紧张的影响

目的了解深圳市女性外来务工者职业紧张的现状,分析人口学特征对深圳女性外来务工者职业紧张的影响。方法采用职业紧张问卷（OSI-R）和自行设计的人口学资料问卷对深圳2个大型企业（员工达4000人以上）的非深圳户籍、工作达3个月以上的女员工共2000人按照随机抽取的方法进行调查,按人口学特征进行分组,比较职业紧张的差异。结果紧张反应得分高于国内常模,个体应对资源得分低于国内常模,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;单因素分析结果显示,职业紧张受年龄、学历、民族、BMI、婚姻状况、收入水平、居住情况等因素影响;多元线性逐步回归分析结果显示,年龄、学历、婚姻状况是职业任务和个体应对资源的主要影响因素,年龄、学历是紧张反应的主要影响因素。结论深圳女性外来务工者职业紧张明显,个体应对能力较差,社区、企业应针对性地采取相应措施,改善女性外来务工者的职业紧张情况。     

Eating behavior related to obesity and job stress in male Japanese workers

OBJECTIVE: We examined a possible relation among obesity, eating behavior, and job stress in male Japanese workers. METHODS: A questionnaire survey on lifestyle, eating behavior, and job stress was conducted with 595 male daytime workers (19-60 y of age, mean +/- SD 41.8 +/- 12.6 y of age) in a synthetic-fiber manufacturing plant. The 431 non-obese men (body mass index <25.0 k/m(2), mean age 41.7 +/- 12.9 y) and 164 obese men (body mass index > or = 25.0 k/m(2), mean age 42.0 +/- 11.9 y) were examined in relation to obesity, eating behavior, and job stress. Body mass index was calculated from height and weight measured in an annual health check. RESULTS: Obesity was associated with eating behaviors such as eating to satiety, eating fast, and substitution eating from irritability. These eating behaviors were related to high job demands of quantitative workload. The eating behaviors were also correlated with psychological stress responses of fatigue, tension/anxiety, and depression, which were associated with quantitative workload. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that high job demands of quantitative workload may be a factor related to eating behavior to eat a lot among male Japanese workers. Increased workplace stress from job strain may affect the workers through eating behaviors to eat a lot that contribute to obesity.     

Depressive symptoms in workers with high autistic trait scores according to job stress type

Individuals with high levels of autistic traits are at a high risk of experiencing depressive symptoms, and are also vulnerable to job stress. This study aimed to identify which combination of autistic traits and type of job stress are related to depressive symptoms. Participants comprised 992 workers from different regions of Japan. Autistic traits, depressive symptoms, and job stress were measured using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, K6 scale, and Job Content Questionnaire, respectively. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Workers with high autistic traits scores reported significantly more depressive symptoms for all job stress types, especially high job demand. Depressive symptoms differed according to autistic traits and job stress. In workers with high autistic trait subscale scores, those with active job stress reported more depressive symptoms than those with high strain job stress, except for the “poor imagination” trait. This is contrary to previous reports that the active stress type is generally less associated with depressive symptoms than the high-strain stress type. To prevent depressive symptoms in workers with high autistic trait scores, it is important to understand which combination of autistic traits and type of job stress contribute to depressive symptoms.     

近海石油生产工人职业压力与职业性意外伤害关系的探讨

目的　探讨近海石油生产中职业压力等社会心理因素与职业性意外伤害的关系。方法采用横断面设计 ,自填问卷方式 ,对 5 6 1名海上平台作业人员进行调查。内容包括 :一般情况、职业压力、A型性格、社会支持和应对措施等社会心理因素 ,以及过去 1年工作过程中发生意外伤害情况。结果　 76人 (13.5 % )报告过去 1年发生过 1次或 1次以上职业性意外伤害 ,共计 14 1人次 ,其中 18人次严重伤、2 6人次中度伤、97人次轻微伤。控制年龄、文化程度、婚姻状况、海上工作年限和工种等潜在混杂因素后的多因素logistic回归分析表明 ,感受“工作中的管理问题及与同事间的关系”压力越大 ,发生职业性意外伤害的危险性越高 (OR =1.33,95 %CI :1.0 5～ 1.6 8,P <0 .0 5 )。缺乏朋友情感支持者较少报告意外伤害 (OR =0 .37,95 %CI:0 .2 2～ 0 .6 3,P <0 .0 0 1)。结论　提示加强对工人的培训和工作指导 ,提倡同事间的相互合作和支持 ,对降低工作中职业性意外伤害的发生有着重要意义。     

Urinary 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine and biopyrrins levels among construction workers with asbestos exposure history

It has been suggested that oxidative stress is associated with the cancers caused by asbestos. Since construction workers are sometimes exposed to low levels of asbestos, we investigated whether oxidative stress was elevated in construction workers who had been exposed to low levels of asbestos. The subjects were 48 Japanese construction workers. The defined asbestos-exposed group consisted of subjects who had the history of suspected exposure to asbestos and were diagnosed to have irregular opacities or pleural plaques. We measured the amount of 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and biopyyrins in the urine of the subjects. The results showed that 8-oxodG and biopyyrins levels in the defined asbestos-exposed group were higher, although they were not statistically significant, than those in the control group. In addition, the urinary 8-oxodG levels tended to correlate positively with the duration of suspected exposure to asbestos. These results suggest that even low-level asbestos exposure may induce oxidative stress and that the resulting's the oxidative stress might be related to lung cancer in construction workers.     

石油化工工人职业紧张及相关影响因素

目的 了解石油化工企业工人职业紧张的来源及相关影响因素.方法 采用职业紧张量表(OSI),对某市石油化工企业532名职工(化工组345名,后勤组187名)进行职业紧张因素、个性特征、缓解因素和紧张反应调查.结果 化工组工作场所中物理环境差,工作缺乏控制,工作危险性大,工作单调,角色冲突、角色模糊较对照组严重;化工组的职业紧张程度高于后勤组(P<0.05).结论 石油化工工人工作中存在紧张因素,这些因素与个性特征、缓解紧张因素相互作用影响工人的身心健康.     

Psychosocial burden among offshore drilling platform employees

Conditions of work on offshore drilling platforms are particularly hard due to extreme environmental situations created both by nature and technological processes. Oil drilling workers employed on the open sea are potentially exposed to permanently high stress. Apart from the obvious objective factors affecting drilling platform employees, a great role in the general work-related stress level is played by the working conditions and work-related psychosocial factors, defined according to Karask's concept as demands, control, and social support. A total of 184 drill platform workers were examined using objective and subjective research methods. The level of subjective stress among drilling platform workers is lower than the level of objective stress and the stress resulting from prognoses related with specificity of work in extremely hard conditions (audit). The examinations of drilling platform workers reveal a positive role of stress in psychological adaptation, being a special case of the "work ethos" and attachment to the firm. In such investigations of work-related stress on drilling platforms, which are very specific workplaces, a multi-aspect character, sociological and economic aspects, organizational culture conditions in the firm, and a tendency to conceal ailments and the stress experienced should be taken into account. It is important to apply measures referring to at least three different types of evidence (objective demands, subjective stress, health problems reported). Otherwise, the result reflecting work-related stress may not be objective and far from the truth.     

Understanding the nature and impact of occupational stress on Australian rural aged care workers

This study explored the nature and impact of occupational stress on direct-care workers employed by aged care providers in rural Australia. The Job demands–Resources (JD-R) model of occupational stress provided the theoretical framework to guide this qualitative investigation. A series of four FGs were conducted with direct-care workers (n = 23), who reported their job demands, job resources and personal resources. Direct-care workers identified six themes related to job demands: time pressure, physical demands, hindrance demands, an inadequate mix of staff, insufficient training to deal with complex conditions and work schedule demands. Four themes related to job resources were identified: collaboration with colleagues, equipment, opportunities for development and work schedule control. Disposition and self-care were identified as necessary personal resources for aged care workers. While the generic JD-R questionnaire captures many relevant workplace characteristics, further investigations with this work group should also consider the inclusion of items related to shift work, disposition and self-care.     

Gynecologic pain related to occupational stress among female factory workers in Tianjin,China

Abstract

Background: Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and non-cyclic pelvic pain are health concerns for factory workers in China and may be increased by occupational stress.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and demographic and occupational factors associated with three types of gynecologic pain among female factory workers in Tianjin.

Methods: The study included 651 female workers from three factories in Tianjin, China. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine associations between occupational stress and gynecologic pain.

Results: Occupational stress including high job strain, exhaustion, and stress related to working conditions was a risk factor for gynecologic pain. High job strain and poor job security were associated with an increased risk for dysmenorrhea. Compulsory overtime and exhaustion were associated with increased non-cyclic pelvic pain. Working overtime and exhaustion were associated with increased dyspareunia.

Conclusions: As China’s population of female factory workers grows, research on the reproductive health of this population is essential.     

Occupational stress in health service employees.

Levels of occupational stress were examined in 383 employees of various occupations in one health district, as a preliminary to devising a strategy to reduce the negative effects of stress in the workplace. In comparison with white collar and professional workers in industry, health workers reported significantly greater pressure at work, higher ratings of physical and mental ill health, lower job satisfaction, less internal control over their working environment but used more coping strategies. Approximately one in eight of the subjects has stress symptoms of equal magnitude to patients attending clinical psychology outpatient clinics. It was also found that job satisfaction and psychosomatic ill health were related to sickness absence amongst health employees. The implications of these findings and the consequent challenges facing health service managers are discussed.     

不同职业性物理因素作业人员心电图分析

目的 探讨职业性物理因素对作业人员心电图的影响，为实行健康监护提供依据。方法 对我市375名高温作业工人、674名高频电场作业工人、350名视频作业人员及102名噪声作业工人进行了心电图检查分析。结果 不同职业性物理因素作业工人心电图改变都具有一定的特征，心电图异常检出率均较对照组有明显增高，并随作业工龄增加而增加。结论 高温、噪声、高频电场、视频作业对作业工人的心脏功能具有一定的有害影响，提示对作业工人实行健康监护是必要的。     

Relationship between job stress and plasma fibrinolytic activity in male Japanese workers

 Psychosocial job stress has been shown to be associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether marked job stress affects the parameters of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, such as plasma fibrinogen concentration, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) activities, in 213 middle-aged male workers in a computer-producing factory. Job stress was measured using a Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) developed by Karasek. The mean t-PA activity in workers with lower and higher job demands was 0.23 and 0.18 IU/ml respectively, and this difference was significant (P<0.05). The mean plasma fibrinogen in workers with lower and higher job decision latitude was 224.8 and 236.3 mg/dl respectively, and the mean PAI-1 activity in workers with lower and higher job strain was 14.9 and 17.7 U/ml respectively, though these differences remained at a borderline level of significance (0.05<P<0.10). Multiple regression analyses showed that the parameters of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis were closely associated with the cardiovascular risk factors of age, obesity, blood pressure, elevated serum lipids, and smoking, but that high job demands were significantly related to decreases in t-PA activity, independently of the traditional risk factors. These results suggest that psychosocial job stress may be related, at least partly, to the development of cardiovascular disease via changes in plasma fibrinolytic activity. Received: 26 October 1995/Accepted: 24 November 1995     

Psychological factors including sense of coherence and some lifestyles are related to general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) in elderly workers in Japan

Objectives  The number of elderly workers has also been increasing and poor psychological well-being in elderly workers has been reported. The aim of this study is to elucidate the factors that are related to poor psychological well-being in elderly workers. Methods  We administered General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) as an indicator of psychological well-being to 330 male elderly workers in the age range of 50–69, and analyzed different psychological factors, namely sense of coherence (SOC), and physical and lifestyle variables such as blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, smoking frequency, alcohol intake, exercise frequency, and body mass index (BMI) that are related to GHQ-12. Results  When the cut-off point of GHQ-12 was 2/3, 97 workers who showed high GHQ-12 score were classified as one group having poor psychological well-being. A statistically significantly lower SOC score, higher stress score, lower frequency of exercise, higher smoking score and higher BMI, but not longer working hours or higher shift work score in the workers with higher GHQ-12 scores were observed than in the workers with normal GHQ-12 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the low SCO score, low frequency of exercise, high smoking frequency and high BMI significantly contributed to the high GHQ-12 score. Conclusions  A low SOC score in elderly workers is assumed to be directly related to poor psychological well-being, or via the development of lifestyle problems such as lack of exercise, obesity, and smoking in elderly workers. This assumption must be confirmed by conducting future intervention studies on lifestyle.     

Job stress, upper extremity pain and functional limitations in symptomatic computer users

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that exposure to occupational stressors are related to the presence and/or exacerbation of work-related upper extremity symptoms in office workers. Also worker's response to work demands and/or job stressors (i.e., workstyle) may exacerbate symptom severity and impact function. The present study examines the association among work demands, job stress and workstyle on pain and function. METHODS: 124 symptomatic female office workers completed a questionnaire measuring demographics, medical history, work demands, perception of the work environment, workstyle, pain intensity, functional impact, and time lost from work. RESULTS: Heightened job stress and the tendency to continue to work in a way that contributes to pain to ensure high quality (dimension of workstyle) were related to pain intensity at work and decreased function. These variables, in addition to hours worked per year, were related to increased pain experienced across the work week. The model tested did not predict the occurrence of lost time. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings provide support for the association between job stress, workstyle, upper extremity pain and function. While it is not possible to determine the exact direction of the observed relationships, these results are consistent with prior research indicating the potential significance of job stress and workstyle on symptom exacerbation and functional limitations. Implications for evaluation and intervention are discussed.     

Gynecologic pain related to occupational stress among female factory workers in Tianjin,China

Background:

Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and non-cyclic pelvic pain are health concerns for factory workers in China and may be increased by occupational stress.

Objectives:

To estimate the prevalence and demographic and occupational factors associated with three types of gynecologic pain among female factory workers in Tianjin.

Methods:

The study included 651 female workers from three factories in Tianjin, China. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine associations between occupational stress and gynecologic pain.

Results:

Occupational stress including high job strain, exhaustion, and stress related to working conditions was a risk factor for gynecologic pain. High job strain and poor job security were associated with an increased risk for dysmenorrhea. Compulsory overtime and exhaustion were associated with increased non-cyclic pelvic pain. Working overtime and exhaustion were associated with increased dyspareunia.

Conclusions:

As China’s population of female factory workers grows, research on the reproductive health of this population is essential.