Job stress and depressive symptoms among Japanese fire fighters

BACKGROUND: Associations between job stresses, as assessed by theoretical job stress model and depressive symptoms among fire fighters have not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study is to clarify the factors of job stress that influence the depressive symptoms in Japanese fire fighters. METHODS: The subjects involved 1,672 fire fighters from a local government. The questionnaire comprised age, gender, job type, job class, martial status, smoking, and drinking habit, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) generic job questionnaire. RESULTS: A group showing depressive symptoms (CES-D > or = 16) included 373 subjects (22.3%). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, high variance in workload, high intergroup conflict, high role conflict, and low self-esteem had significantly higher odds ratio for depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: High variance in workload, high intergroup conflict, high role conflict, and low self-esteem were significantly related to depressive symptoms among Japanese fire fighters. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify the influence of these stress factors on other health outcomes, and to elucidate whether alleviation of these stress factors improve the mental health among fire fighters.     

Job stress and depressive symptoms among Korean employees: the effects of culture on work

Objective  This study was conducted to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and job stress, as measured by the KOSS, among Korean employees in small- and medium-sized enterprises, and examined which components of stress are involved in the risk for depression among males and females. Methods  Data were collected from a work-stress survey of full-time employees of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Incheon, South Korea. A total of 3,013 participants were included in the analysis. Job stress was measured using 24 items (7 sub-scales) of the short form of Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS-SF), and depressive symptoms were evaluated using Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D). Results  After adjustment for confounding variables, most of subscales of job stress contributed to an increased risk of depressive symptoms, and job insecurity (male; OR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.61–2.40, female; OR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.42–2.70) and occupational climate (male; OR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.49–2.28, female; OR = 1.78, 95%CI: 1.30–2.49) showed strong associations in both male and female. Other subscales revealed different effects for males and females; for males, job demands (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.43–2.20), inadequate social support (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.23–1.94), and lack of rewards (OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.48–2.37) were associated with depressive symptoms, whereas for females, organizational injustice (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.14–2.30) was associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusion  These results indicate that job stress may play a significant role in increasing the risk of depressive symptoms, and that further preventive efforts and research are needed to reduce job stress and address health problems caused by job stress among Korean employees.     

Job stress and depression symptoms in middle-aged workers--prospective results from the Belstress study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the prospective relation between job stress and symptoms of depression within a cohort study. METHODS: Altogether 2821 workers were involved in the longitudinal Belstress study (Belgian job stress study); there were two measurements with a mean follow-up time of 6.6 years. Job stress was assessed by the Job Content Questionnaire. Depression symptoms were assessed by the Iowa form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. Baseline and repeated exposures to job stress were related to the development of high levels of depression symptoms through logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Within a population free of high depression scores at baseline, job stress increased the risk of developing high levels of depression symptoms after a mean follow-up time of 6.6 years. Independent associations were found for low decision latitude, high job strain, and isolated strain among women, but not among men. The adjusted association with high job strain among men was borderline significant. Repeated high job strain was associated with a more elevated risk of developing high levels of depression symptoms among both the women and the men. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that job stress is a risk factor for developing symptoms of depression. Stronger associations were found for women. The impact of high job strain among both men and women was more harmful when there was repeated exposure.     

Appointment breaking: causes and solutions

From a review of research on health care appointment breaking, the authors find that patient demographic characteristics, psychosocial problems, previous appointment keeping, health beliefs, and situational factors predict no-show behavior. Suggestions are offered for designing the marketing mix to increase patient appointment keeping. Methods for mitigating the negative effects of no-shows on health care providers are described.     

The underdevelopment of health of working America: causes,consequences and possible solutions.

This article presents the health conditions of working America, and provides an analysis of the causes of that situation. It is postulated that the main health problems in the U.S. are due not to prevalent life styles-as the behavioralists indicate-but to the dramatic maldistribution of economic and political power in our society, with the absence of control by the majority of the U.S. population-the working and lower-middle classes-over the work process with which they are involved, the economic wealth that they produce, and the political institutions that they pay for. The production of goods and wealth as well as the political institutions of the United States are dominated and controlled by a minority of our population-the corporate and upper-middle classes. Empirical information is presented to support this postulate. In light of this explanation, it is asserted that a major public health task is to deliberately and actively contribute to the political mobilization of forces aimed at bringing about profound changes in the pattern of control of our working insitutions and of the distribution of wealth and political power, changes which seek to shift that control from the few to the many.     

The relation among stress,psychological symptoms,and eating disorder symptoms: A prospective analysis

Prior research has shown that psychopathology and stress are associated with eating disorder symptoms, but the relations among these variables were confounded by concurrent measurement at a single point in time. The present study examined the relations among stress, psychological, and eating disorder symptoms prospectively over 4 months in 143 adolescent girls. In cross-sectional analyses at follow-up, controlling for baseline levels, stress and eating disorder symptoms each predicted changes in the other. Eating disorder symptoms were not predicted by psychological symptoms nor vice versa. Stress was predicted by eating disorder symptoms from the first assessment to follow-up. On balance, the results are somewhat stronger for the argument that eating disorder symptoms are predictive of subsequent psychological stress over short periods of time. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Job stress, ill health and job satisfaction among health service employees.

The study examined the effects of occupational stressors, perceived locus of control, Type A behaviour pattern and use of coping strategies on well-being and job satisfaction of 1,176 health service employees. Several stressors were identified as having a negative impact on health and job satisfaction although these differed between the various occupational groups included in the study. The interactionist model of stress used in the study, and the diagnostic tool used (the Occupational Stress Indicator) proved to be useful in suggesting means of intervening to reduce ill health and increase job satisfaction among health service employees.