Perceived Adequacy of Infection Control Practices and Symptoms of Anxiety Among In-Person Elementary School Educators in Ontario.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between the perceived adequacy of infection control practices (ICPs) and symptoms of anxiety among educators in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Data from 4947 educators were collected in December 2020. Modified Poisson models assessed the association between adequacy of ICPs and moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, adjusting for a range of covariates. RESULTS: Approximately 60% of respondents reported moderate or severe anxiety symptoms. Two-thirds (66.5%) of the sample had less than half of their ICP needs met. Respondents with less than half their ICP needs met were more than three times more likely to have moderate or severe anxiety, compared with respondents with their ICP needs met. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the importance of adequate administrative and engineering controls in schools, not only to minimize risk of infection, but also for educator's mental health.

Psychosocial risk factors among telephone service workers: a study of the interaction between customer and worker.

Many activities in the telephone industry involve interaction with customers, including both traditional (for example, client assistance) and emerging services (product sales). Interaction with customers has been reported to cause stress in workers. The study was initiated as a consequence of changes in dialing of long-distance numbers. The main sources of stress among workers in Traffic and Customer Services Departments were analyzed, together with the resulting psychological distress and other health symptoms. Information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire containing the Spanish version of the Job Content Questionnaire, as well as psychological strain and health symptoms items. Questions developed specifically for this study concerned emotional demands, client interactions, and mechanisms used to deal with violent or unpleasant interactions. Workers received valuable information from the study that empowered them to demand improved working conditions.