Burnout and occupational stressors among non-medical occupational health staff.

BACKGROUND: The work required to assist individuals in improving their mental health is stressful and known to be associated with burnout. In Japanese companies, non-medical occupational health (OH) staff often take the role of maintaining and improving workers' mental health. However, few studies have examined burnout in this population. AIMS: To assess the relationship between burnout and occupational stressors among non-medical OH staff. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of OH staff who had participated in mental health seminars between 2016 and 2018. Occupational stressors were assessed using the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire. Burnout was assessed using the Japanese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: We administered the survey to 230 non-medical OH staff, of which 188 completed the questionnaire. According to a hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, high job demands were associated with greater emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Greater job control was associated only with higher personal accomplishment. Lower job support was associated with greater emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found relationships between occupational stressors and burnout dimensions among OH staff. To avoid burnout among non-medical OH staff, it is important to take measures against occupational stressors, especially job demands and low levels of job support.

Relationship between Burnout and Mental-Illness-Related Stigma among Nonprofessional Occupational Mental Health Staff.

BACKGROUND: Stigma related to mental illness can be an obstacle affecting the quality of life of people with mental illness. Although mental illness in the workplace is a public problem globally, few studies have investigated the effect of stigma on job-related problems such as burnout. AIM: This study aimed to clarify the association between mental-illness-related stigma and burnout among nonprofessional occupational mental health staff. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, nonprofessional occupational mental health staff's perceived mental-illness-related stigma was assessed using Link's Devaluation-Discrimination Scale, and their burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The association between stigma and burnout was analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: In total, 282 participants completed the questionnaire (response rate: 91.3%). We excluded 54 nurses from the analysis to examine strictly nonprofessional occupational mental health staff. Finally, 228 eligible respondents were surveyed. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that mental-illness-related stigma was significantly associated with a high degree of depersonalization, which was one of the burnout dimensions. However, the impact of stigma over the depersonalization domain of burnout was minor. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that higher perceived mental-illness-related stigma is associated with more severe burnout. It is important to take measures against mental-illness-related stigma to avoid burnout among occupational mental health staff.

Gender differences in the relationships between perceived individual-level occupational stress and hazardous alcohol consumption among Japanese teachers: A cross-sectional study.

Most teachers have a high risk of work-related stress and mental disorders. Drunken driving and hazardous alcohol consumption (HAC) among teachers are social problems. Gender differences among teachers in burnout, occupational stress, self-efficacy and job satisfaction were reported. This study aimed to clarify gender differences in the relationships between perceived individual-level occupational stress and HAC among Japanese teachers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013 and a total of 723 male and 476 female teachers remained after excluding non-drinkers. Perceived individual-level occupational stress was assessed using the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire. HAC was defined as ethanol consumption greater than or equal to 280 g in 1 week for male teachers, and greater than or equal to 210 g for female teachers. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. HAC was identified in 16.6% of male and 12.4% of female teachers. The average ages (± standard deviation: SD) of male and female teachers were 46.9 ± 10.9 years and 39.9 ± 12.3 years, respectively. Schoolteacher was the most common position classification among male (48.7%) and female teachers (86.3%). For those with a moderate level of stress, "social support from supervisors" was associated with HAC among males (odds ratio [OR] = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23-0.8), whereas for female teachers with a high level of stress, "variance in workload" was associated with HAC (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.04-4.24), using an adjusted model. This study showed that moderate social support from supervisors was negatively related to HAC among male teachers, and high variance in workload was positively related to HAC among female teachers. Gender differences need to be considered when developing HAC prevention strategies for teachers.

Relationships between temperaments, occupational stress, and insomnia among Japanese workers.

Insomnia among workers reduces the quality of life, contributes toward the economic burden of healthcare costs and losses in work performance. The relationship between occupational stress and insomnia has been reported in previous studies, but there has been little attention to temperament in occupational safety and health research. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships between temperament, occupational stress, and insomnia. The subjects were 133 Japanese daytime local government employees. Temperament was assessed using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Auto questionnaire (TEMPS-A). Occupational stress was assessed using the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire (GJSQ). Insomnia was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. In a stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was found that the higher subdivided stress group by "role conflict" (OR = 5.29, 95% CI, 1.61-17.32) and anxious temperament score (OR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.19-1.49) was associated with the presence of insomnia using an adjusted model, whereas other factors were excluded from the model. The study limitations were the sample size and the fact that only Japanese local government employees were surveyed. This study demonstrated the relationships between workers' anxious temperament, role conflict, and insomnia. Recognizing one's own anxious temperament would lead to self-insight, and the recognition of anxious temperament and reduction of role conflict by their supervisors or coworkers would reduce the prevalence of insomnia among workers in the workplace.