Systemic Occupational Health Needs of Gender-Based Violence Advocates: Findings From the Early Months of the Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores occupational health burdens faced by domestic and sexual violence advocates, many of which intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies key stressors and offers advocate-driven recommendations to improve their wellbeing, addressing the lack of system-level interventions in the occupational health literature. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 advocacy professionals. Thematic content analysis guided transcript coding, and researchers shared initial results with participants in two member checking sessions to validate the preliminary findings. RESULTS: Advocates experienced logistical, emotional, and systemic stressors, including loss of peer support and unempathetic workplace cultures. Recommendations prioritize advocate wellbeing and call for systemic changes. CONCLUSIONS: Advocates' occupational stressors highlight the need for system-level solutions to enhance their occupational wellbeing, particularly during large-scale emergencies. Collaborative efforts among employers, funders, and staff are essential to address system deficiencies.

Understanding the Role of Empathy and Gender on EMS Clinician Occupational Stress and Mental Health Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Service (EMS) clinicians experience high levels of occupational stress due to long hours, short staffing, and patient deaths, among other factors. While gender has been partially examined, little is known regarding the role of empathy on occupational stress and mental health (MH) outcomes among EMS clinicians. Therefore, the current study examines the moderating role of empathy and, separately, gender on associations between occupational stress and mental health. METHODS: A cross-sectional examination of EMS clinician occupational and personal wellbeing was conducted via an anonymous, electronic survey. Information on clinician demographics, and validated measures of occupational stress, burnout, and MH outcomes were collected. Empathy was assessed using the Toronto Empathy Scale (TEQ). Descriptive/bivariate statistics were conducted for variables of interest. Separate multivariable regression models evaluated associations between occupational stress and mental health outcomes. Empathy and gender were examined as potential moderators using interactions. RESULTS: A total of 568 EMS clinicians completed the survey. High levels of mental health difficulties were reported (34.0% anxiety, 29.2% depression, 48.6% burnout). Increased occupational stress was associated with increased anxiety (OR =1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.10), depression (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.06-1.10), and burnout (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.07-1.12). No moderation analyses were significant. Greater resilience was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and burnout. CONCLUSION: EMS clinicians, much like other first responders, experience considerable occupational stress, of which is associated with mental health difficulties and burnout. Findings underscore the need for intervention programs aimed at reducing the impact of occupational stress and the promotion of resilience. Continuing to understand the full scope of EMS mental health, including the role of resilience, is imperative, particularly in light of future public emergencies.

Role of workplace bullying and workplace incivility for employee performance: Mediated-moderated mechanism.

Workplace events play a significant role in shaping the performance of employees and organizations. Negative events, in particular, require careful attention due to their severe impact on employee wellbeing and performance. Workplace bullying and incivility are two negative events that can cause significant harm to employees and contribute to poor performance. This study examines the effects of workplace bullying and incivility on employee performance in the presence of perceived psychological wellbeing (PWB), with the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS) considered for both independent variables and employee performance (EP). The study focuses on female nurses working in the healthcare sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The results of the study indicate that workplace bullying and incivility have adverse effects on employee performance and that PWB mediates these relationships. Moreover, perceived organizational support moderates the relationship between both predictors and the employee performance criterion. In conclusion, the findings of this study highlight the importance of creating a positive and supportive work environment to mitigate the negative effects of workplace bullying and incivility on employee performance.

Can welfare states buffer technostress? Income and technostress in the context of various OECD countries.

Many workers are experiencing the downsides of being exposed to an overload of information and communication technology (ICT), highlighting the need for resources to cope with the resulting technostress. This article offers a novel cross-level perspective on technostress by examining how the context of the welfare state influences the relationship between income and technostress. Showing that individuals with higher income experience less technostress, this study argues that the welfare state represents an additional coping resource, in particular in the form of unemployment benefits. Since unemployment benefits insure income earners in the case of job loss, the negative effect of income on technostress should increase with higher levels of unemployment generosity. In line with these expectations, empirical results based on original survey data collected in collaboration with the OECD show that the impact of income on technostress varies across welfare state contexts. Implications for public health and policymakers are being discussed.

Work for the Prison Service: selected health consequences - investigating the role of personal resources, job demands, work stress, and burnout.

OBJECTIVES: The specific job demands of the Prison Service (PS) may affect the health of officers. The job demands-resources model (JD-R) model was used to design a survey of the consequences of working subject to particular job demands. The aim was to gain an insight into the relationship between job demands, personal resources, occupational stress and burnout and selected health consequence indicators (such as behaviors associated with the consumption of alcohol, stress symptoms). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1732 PS officers in Poland were surveyed. The following tools were used as part of the survey: the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II), the Multidimensional Inventory for Assessing Coping Responses (COPE), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a form with a respondent's particulars. Path analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed. RESULTS: The assumed hypotheses were partially confirmed by the results. Out of 4 job demands categories only work pace turned out not to be a significant predictor of burnout and stress. For alcohol related behaviors, stress level was the only significant predictor, both as a direct and indirect effect taking into account job demands. It transpired that support from superiors rather than support from colleagues or self-efficacy was a significant moderator in the emotional demands - stress relationship. Limitations of the study and perspectives for its continuation are also presented herein. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the obtained results it may be concluded that job demands and support from superiors do have an impact on stress in the PS group. This is also consistent with available reports in literature. At the same time stress is a significant predictor of alcohol related behaviors. Coping through the use of psychoactive substances was not a significant factor in statistical analyses and it has still not been subject to sufficient scientific analysis. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(6):744-60.

Quality of Life and Stress Management in Healthcare Professionals of a Dental Care Setting at a Teaching Hospital in Rome: Results of a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

In the healthcare environment, more and more people experience work-related stress. The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of Sapienza University of Rome, having observed the need to take care of healthcare professionals, has set itself the objective of providing useful tools such as additional and necessary personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVE: To promote health through better management, skills, and the use of strategies and solutions to identify, decompress, and neutralize those responsible for work-related stress mechanisms in order to take care of those who care (CURARE CURANTES). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted. The participants were enrolled by three departments of the Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Sciences of Rome; in consideration of emotional involvement of health professionals who work there. A motivational program was offered. RESULTS: There were 17 and 16 healthcare professionals in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Levels of the mental composite score (MCS) varied both in the pre-post phase of the intervention group (p = 0.002), and between the intervention group and control group in the post phase (p = 0.006). No significant differences were observed for the physical composite score (PCS). Similarly, there were no significant differences regarding the positivity scale (PS) and the two dimensions of work-related stress (job demand and decision latitude). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the efficacy of yoga training practiced directly in the workplace and wearing work clothes, entering the work context, not weighing further on the healthcare workload, and being a way to carry out physical activity even in those cases in which professionals do not have the time to do it in their free time.

Measuring emotional variables in occupational performance: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: As interest in job-related psychology increased, the need to focus on understanding workplace stress was emphasized. Negative emotional states such as anxiety and stress permeate the organization and, if uncontrolled, can negatively impact the health and work performance of workers. Therefore, attempts to analyze various signals to understand human emotional states or attitudes may be important for future technological development. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify what biological variables can discriminate emotions that can significantly affect work results. METHODS: Databases (Embase, PsychINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL) were searched for all relevant literature published as of December 31, 2019. RESULTS: Brain activity (BA) and heart rate (HR) or heart rate variability (HRV) are adequate for assessing negative emotions, while BA, galvanic skin response (GSR), and salivary samples (SS) can confirm positive and negative emotions. CONCLUSION: In the future, researchers should study measurement tools and bio-related variables while workers perform tasks and develop intervention strategies to address emotions associated with work. This may enable workers to perform tasks more efficiently, prevent accidents, and satisfy clients.

[Factors Related to Attitudes toward Responses to Stress Survey in Stress Check Program in Financial Industry].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to clarify the factors related to attitudes toward responses to a stress survey in the Stress Check Program, which is used to screen for workers with high psychosocial stress at the workplace. METHODS: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 1,800 regular staff member of a financial industry (valid response rate: 72.0%). The questionnaire items were the brief job stress questionnaire (BJSQ), the sense of coherence (SOC-13), the Japanese version of the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES-J), attitudes toward responses to the stress survey, and the concerns of subjects regarding the stress check program. RESULTS: The stress in interpersonal relationships at the workplace in the BJSQ, "concerns about leaking results to the company", "concerns about receiving persistent calls for an interview", and "concerns about a disadvantageous treatment by the company" were positively related to 'writing general truths', whereas the support from the boss in the BJSQ and the subscales of SOC-13 were negatively related to 'writing general truths'. The stress in interpersonal relationships at the workplace and "concerns about receiving persistent calls for an interview" were positively related to 'writing falsehoods', but the "dedication" in UWES-J was negatively related to 'writing falsehoods'. CONCLUSIONS: To obtain authentic answers in the stress survey, it is important (1) to smooth relationships at the workplace, (2) to devise operation systems such as an interview guidance, and (3) to provide support that enhances the ability of workers to cope with stress and work engagement.

Rapid assessment of mental health of Detroit-area health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic may adversely impact the mental health of health care workers (HCWs). To address this issue, it is essential to determine levels of anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress, and sources of stress, and to identify subgroups of HCWs at a higher risk of adverse mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of symptoms of mental illness in HCWs in the area surrounding Detroit, Michigan. The online survey included questions about demographics, health and clinical factors, and sources of stress. Several tools were used to assess psychiatric symptoms among HCWs, including the Perceived Stress Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item assessment, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. The adequacy of personal protective equipment, patient resources, and training for highly contagious diseases were rated. RESULTS: The sample (N = 129) was predominantly female (51.2%) and White (65.9%), with 30.2% screening positive for clinical follow-up to assess anxiety, 20.9% for moderate to severe depression, and 16.3% for elevated traumatic stress. Differences were found by self-reported psychiatric diagnosis and chronic conditions, and role on treatment teams. CONCLUSIONS: Frontline HCWs demonstrate high levels of stress and trauma symptoms. Timely screening and accommodations may be needed during health care crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ready for change? A longitudinal examination of challenge stressors in the context of organizational change.

In an effort to coalesce current occupational stress and organizational change research, the present article examines the lagged effects of challenge stressors on employee strain and well-being using panel data from two different studies. Guided by the theoretical assumptions underlying the challenge-hindrance stressor framework, we assumed that time pressure and concentration demands are challenge stressors for employees who are not confronted with significant personal or organizational change. Data from a first study (N = 394) showed that both stressors had positive lagged effects on professional efficacy but not on emotional exhaustion. By contrast, we expected that the effects on professional efficacy are lower for employees facing change. Given that organizational change requires high resource investment, we hypothesized that stressor effects depend on constraints for successful coping. Therefore, ambiguity intolerance and procrastination were considered to be moderators. Using a time-lagged quasi-experimental design (change group: N = 140; control group: N = 257), data showed that challenge stressors had positive effects on emotional exhaustion in both groups, but only positive effects on professional efficacy in the control group. Moderator analyses for the change group revealed that time pressure and concentration demands had positive effects on professional efficacy when employees were high in ambiguity tolerance and low in procrastination and negative effects when employees were low in ambiguity tolerance and high in procrastination. Overall, we provide support for the positive effects of challenge stressors over time and emphasize the role of coping capabilities in the context of organizational change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The Pandemic's Toll-A Case for Clinician Support.

Healthcare providers perform lifesaving work in unusually stressful work environments due to the challenges and related risks of battling the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The potential personal and professional toll is substantial. This article describes how one healthcare facility benefited from existing peer support resources to address workforce well-being, ensuring that resources were available to support workforce resilience throughout the protracted COVID response.

Real-time daily assessment of work interference on healthcare professionals' restroom use: A pilot study.

AIMS: Certain occupations may predispose individuals to develop lower urinary tract symptoms presumably through the adoption of unhealthy toileting behaviors. This study aimed to pilot the feasibility of recording healthcare workers' perceptions of daily, work-related interference with toilet use using a cellular, text-based survey tool. METHODS: A cohort study of adult healthcare professionals completed a baseline questionnaire, a daily survey for fourteen consecutive days regarding their restroom use for the current workday, and a posttest survey providing feedback on study design and participation. Contributors to daily toilet use were analyzed in a linear mixed effects model that allowed for modeling effects within a given day. A backward stepwise regression was performed to assess for the presence of the effect of toilet use among control variables. RESULTS: Increased work burden (i.e., increased inconvenience for using the restroom at work) was provisionally found to be associated with fewer voids per day. The number of voids at work was also associated with the number of breaks, urinary urgency, and limiting fluids. Subjects reported that participation in the study was easy, did not interfere with work, and that they would be willing to participate again in a similar study. CONCLUSION: The utilization of a daily text message survey is a feasible way to study healthcare workers and their toileting behaviors at work. A larger similarly designed study could potentially confirm that limitations to restroom use may result in toileting behaviors that could predispose healthcare workers to develop bothersome urinary symptoms. Further investigation is warranted.

Overwhelmed by Emotional Job Demands in High Vigor Days! Its Detrimental Effects on Daily Recovery from Work among Health-Care Workers.

The objective of this study is twofold: first, to analyze whether the daily level of energy in terms of vigor at work could explain the way in which workers psychologically detach from their work, relax, practice challenging activities, and have the feeling of having control over their leisure time when arriving home. Second, to check if the daily emotional job demands could hinder that relationship, reversing the positive effect of vigor in recovery. For this purpose, a multilevel study with a diary methodology was designed. In total, 94 nurses from various hospital and primary care centers in Madrid and Basque Country (Spain) participated in this study. They completed daily questionnaires twice a day (in the afternoon after work and at night before going to bed) for five consecutive workdays from Monday to Friday (N = 94*5 = 470). The results revealed that on days that vigor at work was high, nurses experienced more psychological detachment, relaxation, feelings of mastery, and time control at home. Moreover, on days that emotional job demands were high, vigor was more negatively related to psychological detachment and time control at home. Additionally, vigor was more positively related to all recovery experiences at home in days that emotional demands were low. Therefore, daily vigor can act as an energy resource that helps the worker to recover. However, this effect can occur in situations in which stressors are not present in high intensity. These results have clear practical implications for both health organizations and workers.

[Comparison of the two methods of defining high-stress on the Japanese Stress Check Program].

OBJECTIVES: In Japan, companies are required to implement a "stress check program" to prevent mental health problems in workers. To identify "high-stress" workers, the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) is recommended. According to the stress check program manual issued by the government, high-stress can be defined using two criteria, either the "sum method" (simply summing the scores for each scales) or the "score converted method" (using converted scores according to the conversion table for each scales). In this study, we examined the differences in results found using these two criteria on "stress check program" data. METHODS: We used data of 71,422 workers in 117 companies and organizations who conducted stress checks in 2016. The prevalence of high-stress was calculated by applying the two criteria simultaneously, and the chi-square test was used to compare the proportion of workers with high-stress. We subsequently divided participants into the four following groups and calculated the proportion of each group: group A was defined as having high-stress by both criteria; group B, only by the sum method; group C, only by the score converted method; and group D, not defined as high-stress by either criterion. We compared the average values of stress response among four groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test, and further compared the average values between group B and group C using the Bonferroni method. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 43.7 ± 11.1, and 66.8% were males. The proportion of those defined as having high-stress were 11.7% using the sum method and 13.2% using the score converted method; the proportion of high-stress workers was thus significantly higher when using the score converted method (p <.001). Physical stress response was higher in group B; however, lack of vigor, irritation, fatigue, and depression were higher in group C (p <.01). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the sum method, 1.5% more high-stress workers were observed using the converted method, and this result was similar for individual and employment-related factors. Furthermore, workers were more likely to be judged as having "high-stress" when the score of the physical stress response was higher in the sum method. Hereafter, it is important to consider which criteria are applied when discussing proportions of high-stress. Further research is needed to examine which criteria will predict health disorders.

Associations between depressive complaints and indicators of labour participation among older Dutch employees: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: European policy measures have led to an increased net labour participation of older employees. Yet, via different routes (for instance disability schemes) employees still often leave the labour market early. Mental health may be an important factor hindering labour participation. Aims of this study are twofold: first, to examine the relationship between mental health-particularly depressive complaints-and indicators of labour participation among older employees over a 2-year follow-up period and second, to explore the impact of different work contexts when studying this relation. METHODS: A subsample of older employees (aged > 45 years; n = 1253) from the Maastricht Cohort Study was studied. Depressive complaints were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Logistic and Cox regression analyses covered 2 years of follow-up and were also stratified for relevant work-related factors. RESULTS: Employees with mild depressive complaints showed statistically significantly higher risks for poor mental workability (HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.14-5.92) and high psychological disengagement levels (HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.21-4.57) over time compared to employees without depressive complaints. Within various work contexts, for instance in which employees perform physically demanding work or have high psychological job demands, significantly stronger associations were found between depressive complaints and poor mental workability over time. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows strong longitudinal associations between depressive complaints and indicators of labour participation, also within different work contexts over time. Results provide valuable input for developing preventive measure aiming to enhance sustainable labour participation of older employees.

Factors contributing to the distress, concerns, and needs of UK Neuroscience health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 research from China suggests health care workers are at risk of distress, have specific concerns, and need support. It remains unknown whether findings are applicable to UK health care staff and whether psychological support based on generic approaches is effective. We administered an online survey at a leading neuroscience hospital in the UK to examine how individual staff characteristics contribute to distress, concerns, and interventions most valued during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found a high incidence of distress, particularly in females and staff with previous mental health history. Concerns fell into three factors: 'risk of infection', 'work challenges', and 'social change', and were affected by professional role and contact with COVID-19 patients. These three factors predicted distress. Psychological support and clear updates were deemed most useful, with specific needs affected by age, professional role, and contact with COVID-19 patients. This is the first documentation of a high incidence of psychological distress predicted by three types of concerns in health care workers of a neuroscience hospital. Distress, concerns, and interventions most valued were all affected by individual staff characteristics. These findings highlight the importance of providing stratified, one to one support interventions, tailored to professional group, and background, rather than more generic approaches. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a high incidence of psychological distress in UK health care staff. Distress, concerns, and interventions most valued are influenced by individual staff characteristics. Stratified, one-to-one support interventions, tailored to professional group, and background, rather than more generic approaches for stress reduction and resilience, are crucial.

Short report: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can also hurt me: understanding language interpreters' perceptions of stress/growth and needs in a pediatric medical setting.

An increased focus on quality, trauma-informed patient care also warrants examination of providers' experiences of stress in medical settings. However, little is known about language interpreters' experiences of stress in the pediatric hospital setting, despite their involvement in acute and difficult patient encounters. This pilot study evaluated language interpreters' experiences and perceptions of stress in a large children's hospital. Descriptive and qualitative analyses, using a novel survey measure of interpreters' experiences, were performed to evaluate language interpreters' experiences with stressful patient encounters and identification of available and desired supports. All interpreters surveyed endorsed experiencing stress during challenging patient encounters in the hospital, though the majority also identified positive changes to their worldview as a result of their work. Results highlighted interpreters' strategies to cope with stress and perceived institutional needs to manage stressful encounters. Interpreters' experiences of stress in the pediatric hospital underscores needs for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at helping interpreters manage job-related stress. Preliminary, trauma-informed recommendations for working with and supporting interpreters are proposed.

Seafarers' well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The public health strategies for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection have included closing the national borders and cancelling international flights, which has severely affected free crew changes. This caused prolonged stay on board or at home for seafarers, who should be recognized as 'key' workers regarding their essential role in maintaining the flow of vital goods. OBJECTIVE: Using a general inductive approach, this qualitative study aims to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic reflects on seafarers' well-being. The study focused on obtaining personal experiences from seafarers on board, and seafarers at home, relating to the current world pandemic. METHODS: A convenience sample consisting of 752 seafarers from the international seafarers' population participated in an online study in spring 2020. The questionnaire used included questions relating to basic sociodemographic and work characteristics, and one open question which addressed seafarers' personal experiences. The data obtained was analysed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: The emerged themes included mental, physical, social and economic well-being. Most of the answers of seafarers located on board related to threatened mental, physical and social well-being, while seafarers at home reported mostly on threats to their economic well-being. CONCLUSION: Seafarers' well-being is seriously threatened by preventive measures relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results are discussed in relation to earlier findings in the area of occupational stress in seafaring. Overall, the data obtained portrays existing underlying occupational structures in the seafaring sector, which are rendered more visible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, seafarers describe their reality as far away from the concept of 'key' or 'essential' workers.