Effects of Occupation-Specific Vocal Stress on the Mental Health of Day Care Teachers.

INTRODUCTION: Kindergarten teachers are exposed to numerous kinds of strains, such as noise, which can negatively affect their voices. This cross-sectional study investigates whether and to what extent the profession-specific high vocal demand is associated with the educators' mental health. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-two kindergarten teachers from Magdeburg, Germany and its surrounding areas aged 43.4 ± 12.8 years, voluntarily participated in a survey. Vocal demand and vocal demand response, general strain factors, and mental health were assessed by using questionnaires (self-check on voice demands, Rudow checklist, General Health Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory). The statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS. RESULTS: The interviewed educators felt stressed by the excessive number of work tasks and children in each class, noisy work environment, and loud conversations. In addition, educators complained of headaches and neck pain (66%), while 28% of them experienced hoarseness and a burning throat. The mental health of 39 of the educators was impaired, and nine were at an increased risk of burnout. Self-reported voice effort correlated low with mental health (r = 0.287; p < 0.001) and burnout risk (r = 0.306; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The vocal demands on educators in day care settings are very high, which is a major associated factor for the development of burnout syndrome and is also associated with headaches and neck pain. Measures for the prevention of occupational voice disorders and voice training should be a mandatory part of the educators' training and must be offered as in-service training.

[Stress experience by information and communication technologies among nurses in outpatient care - A qualitative interview study]. / Belastungserleben durch Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien bei Pflegefachpersonen in der ambulanten Pflege.

Stress experience by information and communication technologies among nurses in outpatient care - A qualitative interview study Abstract: Background: "Work 4.0" is also becoming increasingly prevalent in outpatient care through information and communication technologies (ICT). In addition to a variety of options that ICT offers nursing staff, its use leads to additional stresses. Aims: The aim of the study is to identify relevant stress categories that are caused using ICT and provide an additional influence on the stress experience of employees in outpatient care. Methods: Problem-centred interviews were conducted with eight nurses from three outpatient care organizations as part of a qualitative study. Subsequently, these interviews were transcribed and evaluated using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Results: Ten factors were identified that were perceived as stress by ambulatory care employees: for example, insufficient participation and usability, increased documentation effort, information overload. Regarding the employees' ability to work and their health, no relevant impairments could be derived that could be attributed to the identified additional strains. Conclusions: Further analysis of the potential stress situations that could result from ICT use is needed to include this knowledge in primary prevention. It makes sense to establish demand-, participation-, and process-oriented structures in outpatient care organizations. The use of ICT can also be an advantage because, for example, information can be obtained more quickly.

[Professional gratification crisis, overcommitment, and burnout among Ukrainian anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]. / Berufliche Gratifikationskrisen, Verausgabungsneigung und Burnout bei ukrainischen Anästhesisten und Intensivmedizinern während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie.

Background: Mental stress of anesthesiologists and intensive care physicians is varied and complex. Overcommitment (OC) is characterized by an excessive tendency to professional commitment, which can lead to psychological stress and consequently to psychological disorders, such as burnout. The prevalence of burnout among intensive care physicians is internationally widespread. The aim of this study was to determine OC and gratification among Ukrainian anesthesia and intensive care physicians during the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic and to analyze the risk of burnout in this professional group, and the associations between OC and burnout. Methods: A total of 73 Ukrainian male (47.9%) and female (52.1%) intensive care physicians participated in the survey. The mean age was 39.8 ± 10.94 years (range 23-78 years). In addition to sociodemographic and occupational data, occupational gratification was collected using the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire with additional questions on OC, and the Maslach burnout inventory (MBI). Participants were classified and compared into groups with different OC (< 16 points and ≥ 16 points). Results: Of the participants 75% (55) could be classified into a group with OC < 16 points, and 18 presented an elevated OC. A significant difference in effort (13.9 ± 4.1 vs. 17.2 ± 3.6 points; p = 0.003) and ERI ratio (0.58 ± 0.2 vs. 0.77 ± 0.2; p = 0.006) was found between these two groups. In the group with OC ≥ 16 points, 50% of participants reported high emotional exhaustion (vs. 12.7% with OC < 16 points; p = 0.002), but also high performance (61.1% vs. 32.7%; p = 0.005). Overall, a burnout prevalence of 2.7% was found in the total sample, with both subjects represented in the OC < 16 points group. Higher emotional exhaustion was associated with higher OC, higher effort, and lower reward. Discussion: The study results showed high emotional exhaustion among subjects with high overcommitment and three quarters of the respondents showed symptoms of burnout. For this reason, health promotion measures and prevention should be offered to counteract the high stresses during the pandemic. These should include relationship and behavioral prevention.

[Mental and physical stress in the emergency medical services: association of work-related behavior and the consequences of stress]. / Psychische und körperliche Belastung im Rettungsdienst: Zusammenhang des arbeitsbezogenen Verhaltens und der Beanspruchungsfolgen.

BACKGROUND: Ambulance workers are subject to a variety of work-related stress factors. These are counteracted by work-related resources. The aim of this work was to survey the mental and physical stress factors in emergency services personnel and to analyze the relationships between work-related behavior and stress consequences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-six emergency services personnel (39.3 ± 8.04 years old) participated. The survey included occupational questions as well as questionnaires for the subjective assessment of stress at work according to Slesina, work-related behavior and experience patterns (AVEM), recovery stress (EBF), and physical, psychological, and social symptoms (KOEPS). RESULTS: The stresses reported by most respondents were awkward posture, lifting/carrying heavy loads, physical labor, and shift work. The highest rating for stress intensities was shift work (76.9% "often"). About one-third of the respondents showed a risk pattern of work-related behavior. KOEPS and EBF results were not abnormal. Behavioral traits that reflect job-related emotions correlated positively with recovery and negatively with strain and health complaints, which is consistent with theory. Striving for perfection, offensive problem solving, and professional ambition were not or hardly associated with the stress consequences. DISCUSSION: The risk assessment and collection of work-related behavioral data of emergency services personnel with regard to coping with the job's demands provide starting points for organizational and individual preventive measures. Based on AVEM templates, these can be customized.

[Drinking behavior at the beginning and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: results of a literature review]. / Entwicklung des Alkoholkonsums zu Beginn und während der ersten Wellen der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie: Ergebnisse einer systematischen Literaturrecherche.

Background and objective: It is well known that alcohol consumption and abuse, as well as alcohol-induced problems, increase during difficult economic times. Previous studies showed increased alcohol consumption in the 2003 SARS outbreak in China. The review examines global changes in alcohol consumption under current SARS-CoV­2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) pandemic. Materials and methods: The databases PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane Library, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science with a cut-off date of 11 January 2022 were used. An initial hit count of 791 publications was found. After reading the title and abstract, 62 texts were still eligible. After reviewing the full text, 40 studies were included in this review. Results: Study results were available from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Increases as well as reductions in alcohol consumption were shown. Studies examining multiple waves of the pandemic found that alcohol consumption increased with duration of the pandemic. Binge drinking played a large role in this. There were very large regional differences in the increase in alcohol consumption: from about 10% of respondents to > 45%. In most studies, alcohol consumption was about the same for 40-50% of respondents and decreased for 30-40%. Conclusions: Further study follow-ups under the continuing pandemic are relevant. Since the populations studied were predominantly of working age, occupational prevention measures of elevated stress levels for some of the respondents with increased alcohol consumption seem reasonable.

[Recovery-stress levels in paramedics during the first two waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]. / Erholungs-Beanspruchungs-Zustand im Rettungsdienst während der ersten beiden Wellen der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie.

Background: The balance between stress perception and recovery of emergency medical service personnel during service and leisure time is an essential indicator of mental and physical health. It ensures success in emergency medical care and is also a health policy and economic factor for any organization. The aim of the study was to evaluate the recovery stress level of paramedics in the first and second waves of the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic. Materials and methods: The quantitative cross-sectional study included 1936 records of responders (334 women and 1602 men, mean age 34.9 ± 10.5 years). The online survey during the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic was performed during the first wave in 2020 and the second wave in 2021. The short form EBF-24/A (test version S2) of the recovery stress questionnaire according to Kallus was analyzed. Results: During the course of the two survey phases, the dimensions stress increased significantly (t1: 2.52 ± 0.98 and t2: 2.88 ± 1.04 points, p < 0.001) and recovery decreased significantly (t1: 2.98 ± 0.90 and t2: 2.64 ± 0.89 points, p < 0.001). Similar results were found for the corresponding subscales with the exception of the subscale "restful sleep" of the dimension recovery (t1: 2.81 ± 1.36 and t2: 2.72 ± 1.36 points). Conclusion: During the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic, which has been ongoing since the beginning of 2020, the stress experienced by emergency responders increased from the first to the second wave, while the perception of recovery for emergency responders decreased. The study presents the current situation of recovery stress in German emergency medical service employees and allows predictions about performance and health in pandemic situations.

Subjective perceptions of workload and stress of emergency service personnel depending on work-related behavior and experience patterns.

Purpose: Stressors due to the workload in the ambulance service are numerous and can be positively counteracted by work-related behaviors and experiences. We analyzed the subjective perceptions of workload and stress as a function of work-related behavior and experience patterns among emergency service personnel (EMP). Methods: A total of 276 EMP (94.6% men) participated (average age: 39.3 ± 8.04 years). Data on the stress situations of ambulance service staff according to the Slesina questionnaire, the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire (EBF), and the Questionnaire for Physical, Psychological and Social Symptoms (KOEPS) were obtained. Participants were classified into four patterns (A, B, G, and S) based on the Work-Related Behavior and Experience Patterns (AVEM) questionnaire. Results: Overall, 32% of EMP were classified into AVEM risk patterns A and B. For half of the stress factors examined (23/46), the data were significantly different among the AVEM groups. Individuals with AVEM risk patterns have higher stress and lower recovery scores on the EBF and more physical, psychological, and social-communicative impairments shown using the KOEPS (all variables p < 0.001). Analyses showed moderate correlations among the AVEM dimensions (exceptions included striving for perfection, subjective importance of work, and work-related ambition), and the main scales of the EBF and KOEPS. Conclusion: Work-related patterns of behavior and experience are used to determine how stress is handled, and it is possible to distinguish between patterns that promote health and those that hazardous to it. Individuals with AVEM patterns that are a risk to their health experience high stress, low recovery, and increased physical, psychological, and social-communicative impairments. Health-promoting work-related behaviors can be used to counteract stress. Companies developing preventive health promotion measures should focus on individuals with AVEM patterns that are a risk to their health. Supplementary Information: The online version of this article (10.1007/s10049-022-01076-y) contains further tables and figures. The article and additional material are available at www.springermedizin.de. Please enter the title of the article in the search field. You will find the additional material under "Supplementary Information" at the article.

[Online survey of the medical profession about knowledge of occupational diseases]. / Online-Befragung der Ärzteschaft zu Kenntnissen über Berufskrankheiten.

Background: Basic knowledge of occupational diseases is necessary for every physician. Occupational diseases must not be neglected. The aim of this survey was to sensitize physicians from various specialties regarding the topic of work-related illnesses and occupational diseases. The knowledge on this topic was to be evaluated. Furthermore, this online survey should be used for quality management of occupational medicine teaching as well as further education and training. Methods: In the period from 11/2014 to 5/2015, an online survey was conducted. Results: A total of 254 people answered the survey, which was registered in Saxony-Anhalt and 69.7% of the physicians were between 40-59 years old. Almost 1/4 of all respondents assessed their own level of knowledge on this topic as poor/insufficient. Half of the respondents reported inadequate/insufficient training on this topic during their studies or during residency training in their specialty. Of the respondents 91.1% partially or completely underestimated the importance of occupational health knowledge on this topic during their studies. Almost ¾ of the respondents had not yet taken advantage of any training courses on this topic during their professional activity. Conclusion: There are high professional and ethical requirements for physicians to recognize and report occupational diseases. Further training in occupational medicine on this subject should be offered more frequently and the presence of occupational medicine in medical studies at universities should be increased.

[Carrying out digital work situation analyses for mobile flexible work to ascertain the consequences of mental stress]. / Durchführung von digitalen Arbeitssituationsanalysen für die mobil-flexible Arbeit zur Erhebung von psychischen Belastungsfolgen: Befragung von Mitarbeiter*innen einer öffentlichen Verwaltung zu Homeoffice ­ Erfahrungen während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie.

Background: In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, work in many companies was relocated to the home and the work situation of the employees changed suddenly and within a short period of time. In order to identify possible stressors and to expand health resources, a multifactorial analysis of the work situation is necessary. Objective: The goal of this work was to provide an in-depth analysis in the area of occupational health management even in times of contact restrictions. With the help of digital work situation analysis (ASITA) both stressors and strengths of the home office activity in a public administration were identified and recommendations for appropriate action were derived. Material and methods: Using digital ASITAs, 3 groups (in total 16 employees) were asked about their work situation and conditions at home. Employees who worked at least 2 days per week from home during the last 12 weeks before the survey were included in the studies. Results: Working from home places new demands on employees, which in turn lead to both positive and negative consequences. An example of a positive change can be seen with respect to the work organization. Employees reported many advantages, such as the reduction of time commuting to work, and better time management. An example of a negative outcome can be seen in terms of communication in the company, where clear structures are lacking for working in the home office. Discussion: Digital work situation analysis can be an instrumental tool to examine health burdens and benefits, even in companies with mobile flexible work models. As shown by the pandemic, a change in the work situation within companies requires a continuous process of reflection, a process in which the health of the employees must be an essential part.

Subjective and objective demands on different types of differential stress inventory.

PURPOSE: To validate the differential stress inventory (DSI) by evaluating the objective and subjective stress differences in the five DSI types in the occupational setting. METHODS: A total of 119 German participants working as medical assistants (n = 40) or in a bank (n = 79) were recruited. They completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, the DSI, and wore ECG measuring devices for 24 h to measure heart rate variability. The DSI was used to group people into one of five types according to how they perceived and coped with stress: normal, overstressed, stress-resistant, low stress/high coping, or high stress/high coping. RESULTS: The overstressed type had significantly more burnout symptoms than the other types. The high stress/high coping type also had more symptoms of emotional exhaustion and total burnout compared to the other types, while the low stress/high coping and the stress-resistant types generally had the lowest levels of burnout. There were no differences on the HRV parameters among the DSI types. CONCLUSION: Categorising people into types like in the DSI can help make workers aware of unhealthy stress and coping patterns before they turn into more severe pathology. Proper application and targeted preventive measures can save the individual's health and the company's budget. While the DSI picked up on differences in burnout symptoms as a long-term consequence of stress, there is evidence that it cannot pick up on short-term stress or physical stress as measured by HRV from the 24 h recording.

Vaccination coverage rates of military personnel worldwide: a systematic review of the literature.

OBJECTIVES: Due to the professionally specific risk of infection in the armed forces, recommendations for vaccination are usually adapted for soldiers and are subject to special regulations. Little data is available on scientifically measured vaccination coverage of soldiers. METHODS: A systematic literature research was carried out in the PubMed database using the search terms "army" or "military" or "Bundeswehr" and "vaccination" or "vaccine". Studies covering the period from 1990 to 2018 that contain statements on vaccination coverage rates of soldiers were identified. Twenty-two out of the initially found 1801 results were used. RESULTS: The studies found were conducted in nine different countries with eight out of the 22 studies originating from the USA. The size of study was between 180 and 32,502 subjects. On average, the vaccination rates determined in the studies were between 26.8 and 94.7%. Hepatitis A coverage was lowest (a minimum of 11.3%) and tetanus vaccination coverage was highest (with a maximum of 94.7%). Vaccination rates decreased with increasing age and coverage tended to be lower for men than for women. The term of service did not have a significant effect on vaccination rates. CONCLUSIONS: On the whole, most studies referred to recruits. They showed high vaccination rates for standard vaccinations and lower vaccination rates for indication and seasonal vaccinations. However, there were also vaccination gaps of temporary-career volunteers. This leads to a considerable effort at the armed forces to complete vaccine protection in case of a short-term operational commitment.

[The Role of Personal Resources in Coping]. / Die Rolle von persönlichen Ressourcen bei der Stressbewältigung.

BACKGROUND: Stress reactions can be a result of occupational and everyday stress, which are perceived individually. The insufficient compensation of stress can lead to various diseases. Personality traits play an important role in this. Stress reactions can lead to health problems and diseases. Therefore it is important to reduce stress. The aim of this study was to examine the role of personality traits in dealing with stress perception and coping. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The questionnaire on Differential stress inventory (DSI) differentiated 217 subjects into 5 types of DSI. The survey compared these 5 types along their personality traits via the Freiburg Personality Inventory (FPI-R). RESULTS: The DSI types showed significant differences in the expression of the personality traits. This applies the everyday stress, professional and private interactions with other people and the existential and future fears. People with pronounced physical disorders in the FPI showed physical and/or emotional-cognitive stress manifestation as well as a sense of helplessness. Life satisfaction is negatively related to stressors, for example through everyday life. CONCLUSION: The survey revealed the importance of personality traits in coping with job strain. Occupational health diagnostics should be integrated in occupational health care and prevention. The occupational physician or the prevention team appear here to be significant, as they see workers falling through the classic family doctor model. In the prevention team, personality traits can be supplemented by psychologists. Personal resources can be imparted or reinforced to prevent physical disorders.

[Relationship between Burnout Risk and Individual Stress Processing Strategies in Kindergarten Teachers]. / Zusammenhang zwischen dem Burnout-Risiko und individuellen Stressverarbeitungsstrategien bei Kindergartenerzieherinnen.

Kindergarten teachers are exposed to a variety of stresses that can lead to psychological impairments and illnesses. A balance between stress and resources is necessary for performance and well-being. The aim of the study was to examine correlations between the risk of burnout and human resources in order to derive approaches for preventive measures. A total of 200 teachers from Magdeburg and the surrounding area took part in the study (age: 43.6±12.6 years). The MBI-GS inventory was used to determine the burnout risk. Stress processing strategies as personal resources were recorded using the stress processing form (SVF). A risk of burnout was found in nine (4.5%) teachers, 68 (34%) suffered from at least some burnout symptoms. There were significantly more negative stress processing strategies among educators at risk of burnout. As a preventive measure, a resource-oriented approach should be strengthened in order to maintain the health of the teachers and to prevent development of burnout syndrome.

Physical fitness as a risk factor for injuries and excessive stress symptoms during basic military training.

PURPOSE: The purpose of basic military training (BMT) is to enable the recruited soldiers to acquire basic military skills and develop the required physical fitness. This training is accompanied by heightened physical stress and the risk of injury and excessive stress symptoms (I&ESS). The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which the level of physical fitness at the beginning of BMT affects the incidence of I&ESS and resultant absence from duty. METHODS: The data of a total of 774 subjects (age 20.5 ± 2.2) from 8 subsequent BMT quarters were analysed. The medical diagnoses made during the consulting hours of the unit physicians were reviewed for I&ESS and the kinds of injuries incurred and the sick leave pronounced were documented. The level of physical fitness per quarter was then categorised by means of the total numbers of points achieved during the standard basic fitness test (BFT). This categorisation was finally used as a basis for an analysis of the lost days in relation to the level of physical fitness. RESULTS: 255 of the 774 subjects (32.9%) suffered an I&ESS. 60% of all the I&ESS were located at lower extremity. There was a significant increase in the length of absence from duty among the group with the lowest level of physical fitness. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis revealed that the level of physical fitness at the beginning of BMT has a significant influence on the length of absence from duty due to I&ESS. Moreover, 60% of the injuries were lower extremity injuries, which show the specific significance they have for limitations during BMT. Overall, this reveals the necessity for appropriate preventive measures (additional fitness training, adjustment of requirements) to be implemented so that recruits with a low level of fitness can complete BMT with as few injuries as possible.

[Influence of Sex and Age on Contrast Sensitivity Subject to the Applied Method]. / Einfluss von Geschlecht und Alter auf die Kontrastempfindlichkeit in Abhängigkeit der verwendeten Methodik.

AIM: The aim of the study was to detect gender and age differences in both photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity with different methods in relation to German driver's license regulations (Fahrerlaubnisverordnung; FeV). METHODS: We examined 134 healthy volunteers (53 men, 81 women) with an age between 18 and 76 years, that had been divided into two groups (AG I < 45 years old, AG II ≥ 45 years old). Mesopic contrast sensitivity was determined with the Mesotest II. Optovist EU and Rodatest 302 as test devices and VISTECH and Mars charts under standardized illumination were applied for photopic contrast sensitivity. RESULTS: We could not find any gender differences. When evaluating age, there were no differences between the two groups for the Mars charts nor in the Rodatest. In all other tests, the younger volunteers achieved significantly better results. CONCLUSION: For contrast vision, there exists age-adapted cut-off-values. Concerning the driving safety of traffic participants, sufficient photopic and mesopic contrast vision should be focused on, independent of age. Therefore, there is a need to reconsider the age-adapted cut-off-values.

[Prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disease in police officers in relation to job-specific requirements]. / Prävalenz von Symptomen einer Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung bei Polizeibeamten in Bezug auf dienstspezifische Anforderungen.

The professional activity of policemen is connected to psychological and physical stress. The aim of this study was to identify the work specific requirements and stress as well as to deter-mine the exact circumstances of the experience of traumatic events and their coping. Additionally the occurrence of potentially traumatising situations during operations and the prevalence of PTSD symptoms were investigated in detail using questionnaires. As traumatising events severe traffic accidents, use of firearms, but also non-specific operations resulting in death, e. g. the killing of a child, were listed by the policemen. The knowledge of the psychological stress and its sources as well as the analysis of the exact circumstances of traumatic events are helpful in preventing PTSDs more efficiently, e. g. by special trainings for coping with stress and conflicts, in faster identification and treatment using professional support.

[Against the mental stress-Resilient work in surgery]. / Wider psychische Belastungen ­ resilientes Arbeiten in der Chirurgie.

BACKGROUND: Surgery represents a challenging medical discipline. AIM: This article focuses on psychological stress in surgery and explains resilience as a protective factor against the consequences of psychological stress, based on selected literature references and own relevant clinical experiences. In this context, the sense of coherence, social support and self-efficacy expectation are discussed in more detail as resilience factors. METHOD: Narrative review. RESULTS (CORNER POINTS): Surgery is classified as a challenging medical subspecialty with a high reputation but associated with diverse and varied physical and psychological stress factors. Stress factors differ individually in terms of requirements (can be overdemanding or underdemanding but also stimulating, relevant to learning and meaningful, thus positively or negatively stressful) and resources (potentially beneficial working conditions, experience, or behavior, e.g., social support, scope for action). Fluctuations within surgical specialties and a high dropout rate during residency training are well known and the causes include high psychological stress. In the case of persistent and at the same time insufficient compensation of work stress caused by a lack of or insufficient resources, these can be associated with mental illnesses. Nonetheless, many physicians spend their entire lives working in hospital or private surgical settings and remain healthy, a strong sense of resilience to mental illness may be fundamental to this. Resilience can be present as a personal characteristic or it can be learnt through a process or adapted through positive or negative influences, thus strengthening the personal characteristics. Overall, data on surgeon resilience or interventional studies in resilience research in the surgical setting are limited and provide another research gap. Resilience training (directed at a sense of coherence, social support, strengthening knowledge of coping skills, positive emotions, optimism, hope, self-efficacy expectations, control beliefs or robustness), also clearly indicated in the "robust" medical specialty of surgery, is always individual and should not be generalized. If the surgeon cannot retrieve sufficient resources due to the stressful situation, stress management with its methods is helpful to reduce the psychological stress and to be able to maintain the performance and health of this person. CONCLUSION: The consolidation of resilience as a notable aspect of employee management. In collegial interactions, resilience must be based on workplace-based approaches to strengthen coping mechanisms in the face of work stress. Workplace-related stress should also be perceived, addressed and counteracted within the organization, certainly also as an elementary management task.

Work-related behavior and experience patterns of music educators - a basis for intervention.

OBJECTIVES: Music educators are subjected to many physical and psychological stresses encountered in the workplace. These stresses could be counteracted by certain work-related behavior and experience patterns as personal resources to reduce the negative consequences of stress. The aim of the study was to determine the existing work-related behavioral and experiential patterns and the characteristics of the Work-Related Behavior and Experience Patterns (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster - AVEM) questionnaire dimensions in the professional group of music educators according to age group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 205 music educators (66.3% female) from various music schools in Germany participated in the online survey. The subjects were divided into 3 age groups (AG): AG I: ≤35 years, AG II: 36-45 years, AG III: ≥46 years. In addition to sociodemographic and occupational data, the standardized AVEM questionnaire was used according to Schaarschmidt and Fischer. The age and occupation-related data were evaluated in a correlation analysis with the expression of AVEM dimensions. RESULTS: A total of 71.4% of the music educators were ≥46 years old group. Another 12.8% belonged to AG II, and 15.8% belonged to AG III. The sex distribution in the 3 age groups was comparable (p = 0.261). The expression of all AVEM dimensions was within the reference range. The most pronounced dimension, with a stanine value of M±SD 5.2±2.15, was the willingness to spend. There was also no significant difference in the assignment to the 4 patterns in the 3 age groups (p = 0.669). Age showed a negative correlation with the experience of social support (ρ = -0.354). CONCLUSIONS: The age-independent and high intervention-requiring expressions of the AVEM risk patterns A and B led to the recommendation of workplace prevention and health promotion measures. Therefore, it seems reasonable to promote appropriate stress management measures and resilience during studies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(2):176-93.

Guideline for the application of heart rate and heart rate variability in occupational medicine and occupational health science.

This updated guideline replaces the "Guideline for the application of heart rate and heart rate variability in occupational medicine and occupational health science" first published in 2014. Based on the older version of the guideline, the authors have reviewed and evaluated the findings on the use of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) that have been published in the meantime and incorporated them into a new version of this guideline.This guideline was developed for application in clinical practice and research purposes in the fields of occupational medicine and occupational science to complement evaluation procedures with respect to exposure and risk assessment at the workplace by the use of objective physiological workload indicators. In addition, HRV is also suitable for assessing the state of health and for monitoring the progress of illnesses and preventive medical measures. It gives an overview of factors influencing the regulation of the HR and HRV at rest and during work. It further illustrates methods for measuring and analyzing these parameters under standardized laboratory and real workload conditions, areas of application as well as the quality control procedures to be followed during the recording and evaluation of HR and HRV.

The Predominance of the Health-Promoting Patterns of Work Behavior and Experience in General Practice Teams-Results of the IMPROVEjob Study.

This study aims to identify the distribution of the "Work-related behavior and experience patterns" (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens-und Erlebnismuster, AVEM) in general practitioners and their teams by using baseline data of the IMPROVEjob study. Members of 60 general practices with 84 physicians in a leadership position, 28 employed physicians, and 254 practice assistants participated in a survey in 2019 and 2020. In this analysis, we focused on AVEM variables. Age, practice years, work experience, and working time were used as control variables in the Spearman Rho correlations and analysis of variance. The majority of the participants (72.1%) revealed a health-promoting pattern (G or S). Three of eleven AVEM dimensions were above the norm for the professional group "employed physicians". The AVEM dimensions "striving for perfection" (p < 0.001), "experience of success at work" (p < 0.001), "satisfaction with life" (p = 0.003), and "experience of social support" (p = 0.019) differed significantly between the groups' practice owners and practice assistants, with the practice owners achieving the higher values, except for experience of social support. Practice affiliation had no effect on almost all AVEM dimensions. We found a high prevalence of AVEM health-promoting patterns in our sample. Nearly half of the participants in all professional groups showed an unambitious pattern (S). Adapted interventions for the represented AVEM patterns are possible and should be utilized for maintaining mental health among general practice teams.