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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Symposium on teacher stress. Occupational stress among vocational teachers.

There is a widespread belief that work related stress among teachers is serious, with implications for teachers' health status and performance. The difficulty with interpreting data on teacher stress is that the measuring instruments used are often neither standardised nor sometimes focused on stressors pertinent to the occupational roles of teachers. This study, therefore, uses a recently developed test instrument called the Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI) which concisely measures occupational stress, strain and coping resources. Data were obtained, using the OSI, from a group of vocational teachers and compared to a group of professional non-teachers. Overall the results showed a significantly higher level of teacher stress, although only one of 10 stress and strain measures contributed to this effect. The implications for teachers, in terms of occupational role, are discussed.

Burnout, Professional↗
PubMed2001

Emerging methods for the physiological assessment of occupational stress.

Occupational stress is implicated as an etiology for a variety of diseases. Many of the etiological theories surrounding these associations incriminate some deviation of autonomic nervous system activity. New methods of analyzing cardiovascular data obtained from a Holter monitor provide a window into a worker's autonomic nervous system throughout the day, in many cases for two days. These methods allow a variety of comparisons, for example, between workers of varying job stress levels, between work days and rest days, day and night, and between high stress and low stress periods. Identifying altered autonomic nervous system activity patterns throughout the day may: 1. provide insight into the etiology of stress related pathologies; 2. allow quantification of exposure; 3. investigate possible interaction effects of different exposures; 4. lead to monitoring methods capable of identifying whether an employee's job stress is increasing his or her risk for disease.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

[Psychophysiological aspects of occupational stress in occupational medicine].

The authors necessitate complex psychophysiologic, hygienic and clinical research to form a concept of stress induced by occupational factors. The materials disclosure role of fundamental studies, critically review various models (two- and three-dimensional) of stress at work. Analysis of the authors' data and facts obtained by other researchers in detection and evaluation of various stress factors. Essential is to specify prophylactic measures against stress at work for workers' health preservation.

Heart Rate↗
PubMed2001

Occupational stress and psychiatric illness in the military: investigation of the relationship between occupational stress and mental illness among military mental health patients.

OBJECTIVE: This was a pilot study aimed at gathering preliminary data on the relationship between occupational stress and mental illness among military personnel. The primary goal of this study was to determine to what extent military mental health patients report suffering from significant occupational stress. METHODS: Eighty-five active duty military mental health outpatients at the Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center mental health clinic answered a 65-item survey that included items on the perception of occupational stress and reported life changes. Participation in this cross-sectional study was anonymous, voluntary, and random. The 85 participants represent 83% of those surveyed and approximately 10% of the clinic's total population of military mental health outpatients. The survey incorporated the 43-item Schedule of Recent Experiences (SRE). By adding the weighted values assigned to the 43 items, each respondent was given an SRE score, which is a measure of overall stress that has been shown to be predictive of future illnesses. RESULTS: A majority (60%) reported suffering from significant work stress. A majority (52%) reported that work stress was causing them significant emotional distress. Almost half (42.5%) reported that work stress was a significant contributor to the onset of their mental illness. The average SRE score for all respondents was 266, reflecting increased risk for future illnesses. Generic work stressors were endorsed more frequently than military-specific stressors. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal that this population of military mental health clinic outpatients perceived that work stress had a strong negative effect on their emotional health. These results raise the possibility that work stress could be a significant occupational health hazard in the U.S. military, a possibility that warrants further investigation. By gathering additional data on the relationship between work stress and emotional health in the military, interventions can be planned to mitigate the effect of stress caused by the military work environment on the mental health of military personnel.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Occupational stress in contemporary fire service.

Although it is universally accepted that firefighting ranks among the most stressful occupations in the U.S., the quality of information on the matter has often been limited and subject to extreme variation. To help address the situation, the authors provide a thorough review of the literature on psychic trauma resulting from critical occupational events, draw specific applications to fire and rescue enterprises, discuss models of addressing stress disorders, and argue for a reasoned, ethical, and effective approach to the problem.

Fires↗
PubMed1981

The reduction of occupational stress among elderly lawyers: the creation of a functional niche.

The question of how older lawyers function in the context of what is generally a high stress occupation is examined from data drawn from a random stratified sample of 130 members of the legal profession. It is shown that elderly lawyers are able to reduce work stress (largely deriving from volume, responsibility, clients, and trials) by control over the quantity and focus of their work, as well as through client selection. Elderly lawyers are able to create a relatively stress free work role, which is in fact a functional niche for them within the profession. The result is high job satisfaction and low rates of retirement among elderly practitioners. Two factors: work role compensation and work role autonomy, are isolated from the legal data and proposed as important variables in a general theory of retirement behavior.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Employee occupational stress in banking.

Occupational stress literature emphasizes the importance of assessment and management of work related stress. The recognition of the harmful physical and psychological effects of stress on both individuals and organizations is widely studied in many parts of the world. However, in other regions such research is only at the introductory stages. The present study examines occupational stress of employees in the banking sector. A sample of 60 bank employees at different organizational levels and educational backgrounds was used. Data collection utilized the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI). Results of data analysis provided evidence that employees' educational levels affect the degree of stress they experience in various ways. Bank employees cannot afford the time to relax and "wind down" when they are faced with work variety, discrimination, favoritism, delegation and conflicting tasks. The study also shows the degree to which some employees tend to bring work-related problems home (and take family problems to work) depends on their educational background, the strength of the employees' family support, and the amount of time available for them to relax. Finally, the drinking habits (alcohol) of the employees were found to play a significant role in determining the levels of occupational stress.

Educational Status↗
PubMed2003

Building health promoting work settings: identifying the relationship between work characteristics and occupational stress in Australia.

Occupational stress is a serious threat to the health of individual workers, their families and the community at large. The settings approach to health promotion offers valuable opportunities for developing comprehensive strategies to prevent and reduce job stress. However, there is evidence that many workplace health promotion programs adopt traditional, lifestyle-oriented strategies when dealing with occupational stress, and ignore the impact that the setting itself has on the health of employees. The aim of the present study was to address two of the barriers to adopting the settings approach; namely the lack of information on how psycho-social work characteristics can influence health, and not having the confidence or knowledge to identify or address organizational-level issues. A comprehensive occupational stress audit involving qualitative and quantitative research methods was undertaken in a small- to medium-sized public sector organization in Australia. The results revealed that the work characteristics 'social support' and 'job control' accounted for large proportions of explained variance in job satisfaction and psychological health. In addition to these generic variables, several job-specific stressors were found to be predictive of the strain experienced by employees. When coupled with the results of other studies, these findings suggest that work characteristics (particularly control and support) offer valuable avenues for creating work settings that can protect and enhance employee health. The implications of the methods used to develop and complete the stress audit are also discussed.

Australia↗
PubMed2003

Occupational stress among Canadian orthodontists.

The occupational stress associated with many professions, including general dentistry, has been well researched. An anonymous, self-administered, mail-out survey was distributed to Canadian orthodontists. The survey included 67 potential stressors, an overall occupational stress score, an overall job satisfaction scale, and items addressing various characteristics of the respondents. The response rate was 51.2% (335/654). Pronounced differences were found between the respondents in the evaluation of potential stressors and the overall occupational stress score. The category of stressors with the highest mean severity of stress scores was time-related stressors. The stressors with high mean severity scores and high mean frequency scores were as follows: falling behind schedule, trying to keep to a schedule, constant time pressures, patients with broken appliances, and motivating patients with poor OH and/or decalcification. Stepwise multiple regression determined a model, involving overall job satisfaction, age, participation in a study group, hours worked per week, part-time academics, days of continuing education per year, and participation in stress management, to account for 35.9% of the variation in overall occupational stress scores. The results indicate the importance of time-management skills in reducing occupational stress, but other factors seem to have more effect on reported occupational stress than do the characteristics addressed by this survey.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Occupational stress and constructive thinking: health and job satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress is associated with specific situations, characteristics of the work environment, and individual perceptions and reactions in the context of the workplace, but many nursing studies of occupational stress have tended to analyse aspects related to the job itself. In Brazil nursing is acknowledged as a stressful occupation whose stresses are generally associated with the job itself, while the effects of personal characteristics on an individual's response to occupational stress are dismissed. AIMS: The aim of this paper is to describe: (1) occupational stress, job satisfaction and state of health in Brazilian nurses, and (2) the relationship of these variables to a constructive thinking coping style. METHODS: A correlational study was performed during 1999 with 461 nurses recruited from the public health and education system in the Federal District of Brazil. Instruments used were the Nursing Stress Inventory, Constructive Thinking Inventory, subscales of the Occupational Stress Indicator, and a researcher-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: Normal distributions were found for occupational stress, state of health (physical and psychological), and job satisfaction. Results suggest that nurses have fewer psychological health problems and similar job satisfaction compared with other Brazilian government white-collar workers. Occupational stress was directly associated with state of health, and inversely associated with global constructive thinking and job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Brazilian nurses in this study seem to have adapted satisfactorily to their profession, but the finding that constructive thinking was significantly related to psychological ill-health, occupational stress and physical ill-health highlights a need to value individual coping styles in the work environment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Organizational characteristics, occupational stress, and mental health in nurses.

A model of occupational stress in hospital nurses was developed and tested. The model used measures of organizational climate, supervisor behavior, and work group relations as predictors of the quantity of role ambiguity perceived by nurses. Data were collected on 232 hospital nurses working in a rural community hospital affiliated with a medical school. Results confirmed the hypothesized structural model. Organizational climate, supervisor behavior, and work group relations directly influenced role perception. Increased role ambiguity led to decreased job satisfaction and increased perceived stress. The organizational environment directly influenced job stress. Occupational stress exerted a strong direct influence on the development of depressive symptoms in nurses.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Occupational stress as it relates to higher education, individuals and organizations.

This study examined through survey research methodology the degree to which, faculty, administrators and program coordinators, working in higher education, experience stress at work. The Occupational Stress Indicator was used, composed of four compound factors: sources of occupational stress, individual characteristics, coping strategies and the effects of stress. Preliminary findings showed that occupational stress has a negative impact on the degree of satisfaction with their achievement, value and growth, being strongest with faculty and coordinators, (dissatisfaction with career opportunities, personal growth, skill utilization). Another significant outcome was the dissatisfaction of faculty with the organizational design, structure and processes (communication, change implementation, motivation, supervision style, participation in decision-making). All possess individual characteristics of the Type A Scale; they all considered major sources of pressure in their jobs to be their relationships with others, home/work interface, their need to achieve personal and corporate success. Occupational stress has affected their state of health.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Organizational characteristics, occupational stress, and depression in rural emergency medical technicians.

A model of organizational characteristics, occupational stress and mental health in emergency medical technicians (EMTs) is developed and tested. Supervisor behavior and work group support are used as predictors of negative role perception. Negative role perception is specified as intervening between the organizational variables and occupational stress. Occupational stress is hypothesized to directly influence depression. Data collected from 250 EMTs is used in a structural equation analysis to estimate model parameters. The sample is mostly male (74%), white (94%), and married (68%). Results suggest that there is a direct relationship between perceived occupational stress and increased depression. Role perception is a critical intervening variable between supervisor behavior, work group support, and occupational stress. The findings suggest that EMTs are more satisfied when supervisory practices result in an environment which encourages open expression and group problem solving. This work environment leads to more supportive relationships among squad members, reduced role ambiguity, and decreased occupational stress and depression.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMed2005

Occupational stress in nurses in psychiatric institutions in Taiwan.

Nurses are known to be exposed to occupational stress. However, occupational stress is not well documented for nurses in psychiatric institutions in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the work-related stress and risk factors of nurses in psychiatric institutions in Taiwan. A structured questionnaire was distributed to nurses at five state-owned psychiatric hospitals in Taiwan in 2001. Demographic information, working environment, and personal health status were inquired. Occupational stress was assessed based on the Chinese version of Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). General health status and mental health were evaluated by the International Quality of Life Assessment Short Form-36 (IQOLA SF-36). A total of 573 questionnaires were disseminated to nurses and 518 (90.4%) were satisfactorily completed by nurses, including 408 female full-time nurses who had been in their current work for more than 6 months. In the past one month, 17.2% of nurses reported being under significant stress often or always. Assault episodes were reported by 45.1% of nurses in the past 6 months. Among the nurses, 16.9%, 25.2%, 50.0%, and 7.8% belong to the "High strain", "Low strain", "Active", and "Passive" groups, respectively. Perceived occupational stress was associated with young age, widowed/divorced/separated marital status, high psychological demand, low workplace support, and threat of assault at work. Lower general health score was associated with low job control, high psychological demand, and perceived occupational stress. A lower mental health score was associated with low job control, high psychological demand, low workplace support, and perceived occupational stress. We concluded that nurses in psychiatric institutions are under significant stress related to work factors.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Occupational stress among obstetrician/gynecologists.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess occupational stress in obstetrician/gynecologists using a standardized, validated tool. METHODS: The Osipow Occupational Stress Inventory, which measures occupational stress (occupational roles questionnaire [ORQ]), psychological strain (personal strain questionnaire), and coping resources (personal resources questionnaire), was distributed to 277 obstetrician/gynecologists in Houston. The chi2 or Fisher's exact test was used where appropriate. RESULTS: Sixty-nine surveys were analyzed. Median T scores for all subscales were within the normal range. Abnormal scores were recorded by 22 physicians (31%) on at least one subscale of the ORQ, by 5 physicians (7%) on at least one subscale of the personal strain questionnaire, and by 6 physicians (9%) on at least one subscale of the personal resources questionnaire (P < 0.05). Abnormal scores occurred more frequently in the ORQ domain. Generalists had significantly more abnormal scores than did subspecialists (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Occupational stress is common among obstetrician/gynecologists. This appears to be balanced by good coping skills.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Occupational stress: understanding, recognition and prevention.

Occupational stress occurs in the working environment where the stressors may be physical, chemical, biologic or psychosocial in nature. This review especially emphasizes the most novel and probably most prevalent type of work-related factors and response to them: psychologic stress. A brief historical introduction concerning the development of the (biologic) stress concept underlines the duality of stressors (i.e., extremely unpleasant and pleasant events, too much work and work stagnation) equally cause stress. A section on 'Recognition and manifestation' emphasizes the need for understanding the origins and nature of occupational stress before considering its manifestations (e.g., nonspecific behavioral changes and specific hormone level measurements). Under 'Prevention and treatment' reduction or avoidance of psychosocial stressors coupled with minimizing predisposing and promoting protective intervening variables are discussed. Thus, although occupational stress might be a major complication at the workplace, understanding this stress could lead to its partial or complete prevention.

Adrenal Cortex↗