Associations between perceived occupational stressors and symptoms severity of depression, anxiety and stress among academic faculty: First cross-sectional study from Qatar.

BACKGROUND: Mental health concerns among university faculty are on the rise, with reports of anxiety, depression, and occupational stress, impacting the higher education community. In Qatar, an assessment of faculty mental health has not been previously realized. The objectives of the current study were twofold: Firstly, to evaluate the extent of perceived occupational stress, depression, anxiety, and stress, and secondly, to assess the association among these mental health parameters. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among faculty using an online, self-administered, anonymous, voluntary survey. All faculty were included by sending the survey to their institutional emails. In addition to faculty demographics and general health status, the survey measured perceived stress due to academic job roles using the Faculty Stress Index (FSI) with its five distinct domains, and assessed faculty mental health using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 items (DASS-21). Modified Poisson regression with robust variance was used to assess how FSI influences levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. RESULTS: A total of 112 faculty responded to the survey. The highest faculty self-perceptions of mental health conditions were for anxiety (63% at least moderate), followed by depression (30% at least moderate), and least for stress (26% at least moderate). The overall mean FSI score was 48.8 ± 29.4; time constraint and rewards and recognition domains scored highest (18.5 ± 11.4 and 13.3 ± 9.3 respectively) while the departmental influence domain scored least (4.8 ± 4.4). Increased risk of at least moderate levels of self-perceived depression and stress were significantly associated with higher FSI score (p˂0.001). Increased risk of at least moderate levels of depression were less likely among faculty aged 50 years and above (p = 0.034), while increased risk of at least moderate levels of anxiety were more likely among faculty from humanities colleges (p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first investigation of university faculty mental health in Qatar, indicating multifactorial perceived occupational stress, associated with higher perceived severity of mental health conditions. These baseline results establish links between specific occupational stressors for faculty and their mental well-being. As such, assessment of mental health conditions, controlling occupational stress, and developing tailored mental health interventions for faculty, are strategic to implement and foster well-being of academics. Further research into mental health of faculty and designing effective interventions that consider their specific stressors and associated factors are warranted.

The COVID-19 pandemic related stress and the associated factors among the healthcare workers in Kota Setar District Health Office, Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant worldwide health catastrophe, with massive impacts observed particularly among the healthcare workers. Stress among healthcare workers is a significant and pervasive issue that can have profound implications for both the well-being of healthcare professionals and the quality of patient care. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated factors among the healthcare workers (HCWs). METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted involving 533 HCWs in Kota Setar District Health Office. Related data was collected between January and June 2021. Stress was measured using the Depression Anxiety Depression Scale 21 (DASS-21). Other variables included in this study were sociodemographic and employment factors. The associated factors and predictors were determined by employing chi-square test and multivariate logistic models. RESULTS: COVID-19 related stress was reported at 10.5%. HCWs who work at the district health offices and those with degree or higher qualifications had 2.3 (AOR = 2.310, 95% CI: 1.177-4.535) and 3 (AOR = 2.899, 95% CI: 1.613-5.211) higher odds of experiencing stress compared to those working in the clinics and had lower qualifications (diploma or less). CONCLUSIONS: The mental wellbeing of the HCWs participated in this study had been affected negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in one in 10th of the HCWs were experiencing stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher risk observed among those working at the district health office and HCWs with higher qualifications or ranking. This is expected since COVID-19 was a new and unprecedented outbreak associated with massive number of mortalities that requires active contact tracing and surveillance which commonly conducted at district health office level. Active intervention needed to cope with the overwhelming stress and working condition to ensure effective rehabilitation are in place and quality of work were not jeopardized.

Natural Language Processing for Work-Related Stress Detection Among Health Professionals: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need worldwide for qualified health professionals. High attrition rates among health professionals, combined with a predicted rise in life expectancy, further emphasize the need for additional health professionals. Work-related stress is a major concern among health professionals, affecting both the well-being of health professionals and the quality of patient care. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to identify processes and methods for the automatic detection of work-related stress among health professionals using natural language processing (NLP) and text mining techniques. METHODS: This review follows Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The inclusion criteria for this scoping review encompass studies involving health professionals using NLP for work-related stress detection while excluding studies involving other professions or children. The review focuses on various aspects, including NLP applications for stress detection, criteria for stress identification, technical aspects of NLP, and implications of stress detection through NLP. Studies within health care settings using diverse NLP techniques are considered, including experimental and observational designs, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of NLP's role in detecting stress among health professionals. Studies published in English, German, or French from 2013 to present will be considered. The databases to be searched include MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore. Sources of unpublished studies and gray literature to be searched will include ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and OpenGrey. Two reviewers will independently retrieve full-text studies and extract data. The collected data will be organized in tables, graphs, and a qualitative narrative summary. This review will use tables and graphs to present data on studies' distribution by year, country, activity field, and research methods. Results synthesis involves identifying, grouping, and categorizing. The final scoping review will include a narrative written report detailing the search and study selection process, a visual representation using a PRISMA-ScR flow diagram, and a discussion of implications for practice and research. RESULTS: We anticipate the outcomes will be presented in a systematic scoping review by June 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This review fills a literature gap by identifying automated work-related stress detection among health professionals using NLP and text mining, providing insights on an innovative approach, and identifying research needs for further systematic reviews. Despite promising outcomes, acknowledging limitations in the reviewed studies, including methodological constraints, sample biases, and potential oversight, is crucial to refining methodologies and advancing automatic stress detection among health professionals. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/56267.

Work pressure, coping styles and occupational burnout among Chinese police officers: a meta-analytic review.

The present study conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to systematically review the relationship between occupational burnout and work pressure among Chinese police officers. Additionally, the study explored the mediating role of coping styles using a meta-analytic structural equation model. The investigation involved a thorough search of CNKI, PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, resulting in the identification of a total of 39 studies with 124 effect sizes and 14,089 police officers. The findings revealed a positive correlation between work pressure and occupational burnout among Chinese police officers (r = 0.410, 95% CI = [0.347, 0.469]). Furthermore, negative coping styles mediate the relationship between work pressure and occupational burnout. Importantly, these conclusions held true across various work regions for police officers. These results provide insights into the relationship magnitude between work pressure and occupational burnout in Chinese police work and shed light on the underlying mechanisms. Based on these findings, it is recommended that interventions focusing on reducing work pressure and fostering positive coping styles be implemented to mitigate occupational burnout among police officers.

Management of work stress among arts and science school administrators in Nigeria using rational emotive occupational health coaching: A randomized controlled trial evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The working circumstances of the administrators are appalling due to the nature of education in Nigeria. These administrators put in a lot of overtime to fulfill the expectations of their positions, which stresses them out. But there is no information in the literature about how administrators of science schools deal with their demanding environments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate how administrators of secondary scientific schools in the Southeast could manage work-related stress by using rational and emotive occupational health coaching. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) experimental design was used for the investigation, with 106 people divided into 2 groups-one for the intervention and one for the control. A selection of these participants came from southeast Nigerian special scientific schools. The Occupational Stress Index (OSI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) served as the foundation for our data collection procedure. A posttest was given following the 12-week intervention, and then there was a 2-month follow-up assessment. Repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to ascertain the effects both within and across groups. RESULTS: It was revealed that rational emotive occupational health coaching had significant effect on the management of work stress among southeast secondary arts and science school administrators, F (2, 208) = 1452.484, P = <.050, ŋ2 = .933, and F (1, 104) = 18076.988, P = <.050, ŋ2 = .994). CONCLUSION: The management of work stress among southeast secondary arts and science school administrators was significantly improved through rational emotive occupational health coaching.

Factors affecting nurses' compassion fatigue: A path analysis study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses often experience compassion fatigue as a result of exposure to chronic work-related stress. It is thought that nurses' mindfulness levels and patience attitudes might be effective on compassion fatigue. AIM: Therefore, in this study, it is aimed to examine the relationship between nurses' compassion fatigue, mindfulness levels and patience levels. METHODS: The study was carried out in a descriptive and relation-seeking type and was completed with the participation of 469 nurses. Data Form of Demographic and Professional Characteristics, Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and The Patience Scale were used as data collection tools. FINDINGS: As a result of the research, it was determined that there was a relationship between the mindfulness and patience levels of nurses and compassion fatigue. As the mindfulness and patience levels of nurses increase, compassion fatigue decreases (p < 0.05). As the mindfulness levels of the nurses increase, their patience levels increase as well (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Accordingly, it is recommended to increase the level of patience and reduce compassion fatigue by applying interventions that will increase the mindfulness levels of nurses.

Sickness absence and associations with sociodemographic factors, health risk behaviours, occupational stressors and adverse mental health in 40,343 UK police employees.

AIMS: Police employees may experience high levels of stress due to the challenging nature of their work which can then lead to sickness absence. To date, there has been limited research on sickness absence in the police. This exploratory analysis investigated sickness absence in UK police employees. METHODS: Secondary data analyses were conducted using data from the Airwave Health Monitoring Study (2006-2015). Past year sickness absence was self-reported and categorised as none, low (1-5 days), moderate (6-19 days) and long-term sickness absence (LTSA, 20 or more days). Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine sickness absence and exploratory associations with sociodemographic factors, occupational stressors, health risk behaviours, and mental health outcomes, controlling for rank, gender and age. RESULTS: From a sample of 40,343 police staff and police officers, forty-six per cent had no sickness absence within the previous year, 33% had a low amount, 13% a moderate amount and 8% were on LTSA. The groups that were more likely to take sick leave were women, non-uniformed police staff, divorced or separated, smokers and those with three or more general practitioner consultations in the past year, poorer mental health, low job satisfaction and high job strain. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the groups of police employees who may be more likely to take sick leave and is unique in its use of a large cohort of police employees. The findings emphasise the importance of considering possible modifiable factors that may contribute to sickness absence in UK police forces.

Digital Interventions to Understand and Mitigate Stress Response: Protocol for Process and Content Evaluation of a Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Staffing and resource shortages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased stress levels among health care workers. Many health care workers have reported feeling unable to maintain the quality of care expected within their profession, which, at times, may lead to moral distress and moral injury. Currently, interventions for moral distress and moral injury are limited. OBJECTIVE: This study has the following aims: (1) to characterize and reduce stress and moral distress related to decision-making in morally complex situations using a virtual reality (VR) scenario and a didactic intervention; (2) to identify features contributing to mental health outcomes using wearable, physiological, and self-reported questionnaire data; and (3) to create a personal digital phenotype profile that characterizes stress and moral distress at the individual level. METHODS: This will be a single cohort, pre- and posttest study of 100 nursing professionals in Ontario, Canada. Participants will undergo a VR simulation that requires them to make morally complex decisions related to patient care, which will be administered before and after an educational video on techniques to mitigate distress. During the VR session, participants will complete questionnaires measuring their distress and moral distress, and physiological data (electrocardiogram, electrodermal activity, plethysmography, and respiration) will be collected to assess their stress response. In a subsequent 12-week follow-up period, participants will complete regular assessments measuring clinical outcomes, including distress, moral distress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. A wearable device will also be used to collect continuous data for 2 weeks before, throughout, and for 12 weeks after the VR session. A pre-post comparison will be conducted to analyze the effects of the VR intervention, and machine learning will be used to create a personal digital phenotype profile for each participant using the physiological, wearable, and self-reported data. Finally, thematic analysis of post-VR debriefing sessions and exit interviews will examine reoccurring codes and overarching themes expressed across participants' experiences. RESULTS: The study was funded in 2022 and received research ethics board approval in April 2023. The study is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: It is expected that the VR scenario will elicit stress and moral distress. Additionally, the didactic intervention is anticipated to improve understanding of and decrease feelings of stress and moral distress. Models of digital phenotypes developed and integrated with wearables could allow for the prediction of risk and the assessment of treatment responses in individuals experiencing moral distress in real-time and naturalistic contexts. This paradigm could also be used in other populations prone to moral distress and injury, such as military and public safety personnel. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05923398; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05923398. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/54180.

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.

The mediating effect of health behaviors on the association between job strain and mental health outcome: a national survey of police officers.

Police officers often face emotionally challenging interpersonal situations and numerous studies have demonstrated that policing is a stressful occupation. A study revealed a significant positive correlation between emotional demands among police officers and emotional dissonance, as well as burnout. Health-promoting behaviors can contribute to better overall health outcomes and reduce the risk of developing health problems, but there is limited research evaluating the association of job strain and health behaviors with mental health outcomes in police officers. The objective of this study was to assess the job strain associated with mental health mediated by health behaviors in Taiwanese police officers. This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in Oct 2016. A total of 41,871 police officers (response rate was 79.7%) participated questionnaire that consisted of demographic information, job characteristics, health behaviors, and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the Short-Form Health Survey. Independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (One-way ANOVA) were conducted to assess the differences in mean MCS scores across various demographics, health behavior, and job characteristics. Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between job strain and health behaviors with mental health outcomes. MCS scores were associated with job characteristics and health behaviors among police officers except for gender. After adjusting for covariates, multivariate analysis indicated that police officers with high job demands and high job strain index exhibited poor MCS scores. Job strain was significantly associated with MCS mediated by health behaviors (consumption of fruits and vegetables, and physical activity) in Taiwanese police officers. Since regular physical activity and increased vegetable and fruit consumption might alleviate the effects of job strain on mental health status, it is recommended that institutional policies be established to promote health-enhancing behaviors among police officers.

Effect of authentic leadership on nurses' stress, burnout, presenteeism during COVID-19.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has burdened the health-care system and exposed nurses to immense stress. This study therefore aims to investigate nurses' mental well-being who are working with COVID-19-positive patients. Burnout leads to decreased productivity and manifests as emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation (cynicism) and low personal accomplishment (professional efficacy). Authentic leadership is built on a humanistic value system, which is the core value of nurses and other health-care professionals. This study therefore used authentic leadership as the independent variable. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A cross-sectional quantitative research method was adopted by distributing validated online questionnaires to 1,334 nurses in a private pathology laboratory and 241 questionnaires were analysed with 93.4% female respondents. Multiple linear regression model testing was conducted. FINDINGS: Multiple regression analyses showed statistically significant negative correlations between authentic leadership and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, job stress and job-stress-related presenteeism, and a positive correlation between authentic leadership and professional efficacy. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study provides empirical data to encourage organisations to focus on developing authentic leaders to decrease nurses' burnout, job stress and presenteeism. The health-care sector should strive to create an environment where nurses are valued and their talent is recognised to increase employee engagement and commitment. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: There were two contributions in this study: first, to determine whether there is a relationship between authentic leadership job stress and job-stress-related presenteeism. Second, to determine whether there is a relationship between authentic leadership and the three sub-constructs of burnout.

[Study on the applicability of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire based on classical test theory and item response theory].

Objective: To evaluate the quality and item characteristics of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) among employees in manufacturing and service industries. Methods: From December 2021 to December 2022, a total of 2077 employees from 4 manufacturing and service enterprises in Beijing were selected by the method of combining purpose sampling and convenience sampling. The Chinese version of BJSQ was used to carry out a survey on occupational stress from 57 items in 4 dimensions including job stress factors, stress response, social support factors and satisfaction. Classical test theory (CTT) was used to analyze the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The Semejima hierarchical response model in item response theory (IRT) was used to analyze the differentiation a, difficulty coefficient b and information content of each item. Results: Among the 2077 subjects, the age M (Q(1), Q(3)) was 33 (28, 37) years old, and the working age M (Q(1), Q(3)) was 4 (2, 8) years. There were 723 (34.8%) people in manufacturing industry and 1354 (65.2%) people in service industry. Eleven common factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 62.823%, the variance of the common factors of each entry ranging from 0.451 to 0.865, and the range of factor loading values from 0.413 to 0.825, with 5 items having cross-loadings. The results of the validation factor analysis showed that the model fit indexes of root means square error of approximation was 0.055, comparative fit index was 0.950, Tucker Lewis index was 0.948, and standardized root mean square was 0.066. Content validity results showed that the total scores of the Chinese version of the BJSQ were positively correlated with the scores of the 4 dimensions (r(s)=0.487-0.936, P<0.05) . The results of the reliability analysis showed that the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total questionnaire was 0.945, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients of job stress factors, stress response and social support factors were 0.775, 0.957, and 0.830, respectively. The Spearman-Brown coefficient for the total questionnaire was 0.866, and for the 3 dimensions, it was 0.572, 0.882 and 0.772. The results of IRT analysis showed that only 1 of the 57 items had a differentiation a-value<0.30, the difficulty coefficient b-value of each item ranged from -12.02 to 11.09, of which 8 items had a difficulty coefficient that was too high, 3 items had a difficulty coefficient that was too low, and 3 items did not meet the requirements, and the average amount of information in each item ranged from 0.022 to 2.566, and there were 47 items with average amount of information>0.088 (5/57) . Conclusion: The Chinese version of BJSQ has good reliability and validity in the typical occupational groups of manufacturing and service industries in China, and most of the items have good performance, but some items still need to be further improved and optimized or deleted.

Navigating AI transitions: how coaching leadership buffers against job stress and protects employee physical health.

The dynamic interplay between Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption in modern organizations and its implications for employee well-being presents a paramount area of academic exploration. Within the context of rapid technological advancements, AI's promise to revolutionize operational efficiency juxtaposes challenges relating to job stress and employee health. This study explores the nuanced effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption on employee physical health within organizational settings, investigating the potential mediating role of job stress and the moderating influence of coaching leadership. Drawing from the conservation of resource theory, the research hypothesized that AI adoption would negatively impact employee physical health both directly and indirectly through increased job stress. Critically, our conceptual model underscores the mediating role of job stress between AI adoption and physical health. Further, introducing a novel dimension to this discourse, we postulate the moderating influence of coaching leadership. To empirically test the hypotheses, we gathered survey data from 375 South Korean workers with a three-wave time-lagged research design. Our results demonstrated that all the hypotheses were supported. The results have significant implications for organizational strategies concerning AI implementation and leadership development.

Effects of perceived stress on turnover intention of female healthcare staff: a serial multiple mediation model.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare staff in China, especially females, work in a high-pressure, high-load, and high-risk environment, which affects the physical and mental health, the efficiency and quality of work, and increases turnover intention. The present study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention in female healthcare staff, and the effects of future-oriented coping and work-family balance on this relationship. METHODS: Four hundred thirty-five female medical workers were recruited to perform a perceived stress scale, future-oriented coping inventory, work-family balance scale and turnover intention scale. Meanwhile, serial multiple mediation analysis was performed using PROCESS. RESULTS: 1) Perceived stress positively predicted the level of turnover intention in female healthcare staff; 2) Preventive coping and proactive coping showed mediation effects on the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention, and preventive coping positively related to proactive coping; 3) The work-family balance also showed mediation effects on the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention; 4) Preventive coping, proactive coping and work-family balance showed a serial multiple mediation on the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention in female healthcare workers. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived stress affects the level of turnover intention in female healthcare staff through preventive coping, proactive coping, and work-family balance. In addition, the sequential model of future-oriented coping was validated among female healthcare staff.

Combat and operational stress programs and interventions: A scoping review using a tiered prevention framework.

Beginning in 1999, Department of Defense policy directed the military services to develop Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) programs to address prevention, early identification, and management of the negative effects of combat and operational stress. The aim of this study is to provide a narrative review of COSC programs and organize them into a prevention framework to clarify gaps and future directions. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies between 2001 and 2020 in peer-reviewed articles or government-sponsored reports describing an evaluation of COSC programs. The target population of these programs was US service members who had participated in an intervention designed to address combat or operational stress in a deployed, operational, or field setting. These programs then were rated for level of evidence and categorized using a tiered prevention model. This search identified 36 published evaluations of 19 COSC programs and interventions from. Most programs were described as effective in addressing target outcomes, with behavioral health outcomes reported for 13 of the 19 identified programs; the remaining six focused on knowledge base and behavior changes. Delivery of these prevention programs also ranged from peer-based implementation to formal treatment, including programs at all prevention levels. COSC interventions show promise for helping service members manage stress, with more than half of the programs showing evidence from studies using randomized designs. Future iterations of COSC program evaluations should explore the development of a joint curriculum using existing content in a tiered prevention framework.

The positive side of stress: Investigating the impact of challenge stressors on innovative behavior in higher education.

Stress can be a double-edged sword. Given the intricacy of the innovation process, the link between job stress and individual innovation behavior remains uncertain. To clarify the relationship between challenge stressors and the innovative behavior of higher education teachers, this study was based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory and adopted the structural equation modeling method to explore the impact of challenge stressors on the innovative behavior of higher education teachers and reveal its influencing mechanism and boundary conditions. By analyzing the data from 208 questionnaires of higher education teachers, the findings reveal that challenge stressors positively influence innovative behavior, with task crafting serving as a critical bridge. Additionally, a favorable employment relationship climate enhances the positive impact of challenge stressors. Gender dynamics are also explored, adding nuance to the understanding of this relationship. These results shed light on the inherent mechanisms governing the relationship between challenge stressors and innovative behavior among higher education teachers, and underscore the significance of task crafting. In addition, the discoveries provided fresh insights and ideas for investigating how organizational climate affects individual innovative behavior.

Correlation among job-induced stress, overall well-being, and cardiovascular risk in Italian workers of logistics and distribution.

Introduction: Work-related stress is an occupational risk that has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While previous studies have explored this association in various work contexts, none have focused specifically on logistics and distribution personnel. These workers may be exposed to significant job stress, which potentially increases the risk of CVD. Methods: In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between work-related stress and cardiovascular risk in a sample of 413 healthy workers of a logistics and distribution company. To assess work-related stress and cardiovascular risk, we used the organisational well-being questionnaire proposed by the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority, the Framingham Heart Study General Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Prediction Score and the WHO General Wellbeing Index (WHO-5). Results: Our results revealed that individuals with low job support had a significantly higher CVD risk score and lower well-being index than those reporting high job support. Furthermore, workers with high-stress tasks showed higher well-being index scores than those with passive tasks. Approximately 58% of the subjects were classified as low CVD risk (CVD risk <10%), approximately 31% were classified as moderate risk (CVD risk between 10 and 20%) and 11% were considered high risk (CVD risk >20%). The overall median CVD risk for the population was moderate (6.9%), with individual scores ranging from 1 to 58%. Discussion: Further analyses confirmed the protective effect of work support, also identifying physical inactivity, regular alcohol consumption and low educational level as factors contributing to an increased risk of CVD. Interestingly, factors such as job control and work support demonstrated a positive impact on psychological well-being. These results emphasise the importance of intervention strategies aimed at promoting health in the workplace. By addressing these combined factors, organisations can effectively reduce the risk of CVD and improve the general well-being of their workforce.

Forensic Professionals' Stress Inventory (FPSI): Development and psychometric properties.

Professionals in the justice system are particularly susceptible to occupational stress and burnout due to factors intrinsic to their profession. The Forensic Professional's Stress Inventory (FPSI) was designed to assess stress and psychological distress specifically in justice system professionals. A preliminary 41-item scale was administered to a sample of 690 forensic professionals (i.e., judges, lawyers, and attorneys). Exploratory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to find the most interpretable and parsimonious factor solution for FPSI. The 25-item bifactor model (with four first-order factors) demonstrated the most adequate fit to the data. Overall, FPSI revealed adequate psychometric properties and would be a useful instrument for assessing psychological strain and stress in forensic professionals.