Measuring job stress of dental workers in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: reliability and validity of the hospital consultants' job stress questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The Hospital Consultants' Job Stress Questionnaire (HCJSQ) has been widely used to assess sources and levels of job stress. However, its reliability and validity among Chinese dental workers have not been extensively studied. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the HCJSQ specifically in Chinese dental workers. METHODS: The HCJSQ was used to explore the sources and the global ratings of job stress among Chinese dental workers. To assess the reliability and validity of the HCJSQ, various statistical measures were employed, including Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Spearman-Brown coefficient, Spearman correlation coefficient, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. RESULTS: Of the participants, 526 (17.4%) reported high levels of stress, while 1,246 (41.3%) and 1,248 (41.3%) reported moderate and low levels of stress, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the modified HCJSQ was 0.903, and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.904. Spearman correlation coefficient between individuals' items and the total score ranged from 0.438 to 0.785 (p < 0.05). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that three factors accounted for 60.243% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated factor loadings between 0.624 and 0.834 on the specified items. The fit indices of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated good model fit, with a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation of 0.064, Normative Fit Index of 0.937, Comparative Fit Index of 0.952, Incremental Fit Index of 0.952, Tucker-Lewis index of 0.941, and Goodness of Fit Index of 0.944. Additionally, the convergent validity and discriminant validity showed a good fit for the three-factor model. CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm that Chinese dental workers experience high levels of stress, and the three-factor model of the HCJSQ proves to be a suitable instrument for evaluating the sources and levels of job stress among Chinese dental workers. Therefore, it is imperative that relevant entities such as hospitals, medical associations, and government take appropriate measures to address the existing situation.

The development and evaluation of the worker-occupation fit inventory.

BACKGROUND: Person-environment fit (PEF) theory, one of the foundational theories of occupational stress, has primarily found applications in organizational behavior and human resource management. Given the alignment between the definition of occupational stress and the essence of PEF, we introduced the concept of worker-occupation fit (WOF). To validate our theoretical model, the development of an instrument to measure WOF becomes imperative. METHODS: The Worker-Occupation Fit Inventory (WOFI) comprises three dimensions: personal trait fit (PTF), need-supply fit (NSF) and demand-ability fit (DAF). Job-related mental disorders (JRMDs) were assessed using the DASS-21. During the pre-investigation, items of the WOFI underwent screening through classic test theory (CTT) analysis. In the formal investigation, item response theory (IRT) analysis was employed to evaluate the selected items. The relationship between WOF and JRMD was verified by Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The initial version consisted of 26 items. Three common factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA): 6 items were included in the PTF, 6 items were included in the NSF, 4 items were included in the DAF, and 10 items were deleted because of unacceptable factor loadings. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the structure of the WOFI with χ2/df = 1.822, CFI = 0.947, and SRMSR = 0.056. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the PTF, NSF, and DAF were 0.91, 0.92, and 0.80, respectively. In IRT analysis, the discrimination values of all items ranged from 1.25 to 2.53, and the difficulty values of all items ranged from -6.28 to 1.30 (with no difficulty of reversal). The WOF was negatively related to job-related stress (r = -0.34, p<0.001), anxiety (r = -0.37, p<0.001), and depression (r = -0.41, p<0.001). The multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that a high level of WOF was a protective factor against job-related mental disorders, with ORs all less than 1 (p<0.001), and a low level of WOF was a risk factor for job-related mental disorders, with ORs all more than 1.0 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of CTT and IRT analysis indicated that the WOFI exhibits reliability and validation. The WOF effectively predicted job-related mental disorders. Subsequent studies will delve into the influence of WOFI on diverse professions and various health outcomes.

Reliability of a Newly Developed Tool to Assess and Classify Work-related Stress (TAWS-16) for Indian Workforce.

OBJECTIVES: Work stress is associated with non-communicable diseases, increased healthcare costs, and decreased work productivity among employees in the information technology sector. There is a need for regular work-stress screening among employees using valid and reliable tools. The Tool to Assess and Classify Work Stress (TAWS-16) was developed to overcome limitations in existing stress assessment tools in India. This study aimed to test the reliability of TAWS-16 in a sample of managerial-supervisory employees. METHODS: This observational reliability study included data from 62 employees. Test-retest and inter-method reliability were investigated using a TAWS-16 web application and interview by telephone, respectively. Kappa values and intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated. Internal consistency was assessed through Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: For both test-retest and inter-method reliability, the agreement for both work-related factors and symptoms suggestive of work stress exceeded 80%, and all kappa values were 0.40 or higher. Cronbach's alpha for test-retest and inter-method reliability was 0.983 and 0.941, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TAWS-16 demonstrated acceptable reliability. It measured stressors, coping abilities, and psychosomatic symptoms associated with work stress. We recommend using TAWS-16 to holistically identify work stress among employees during periodical health check-ups in India.

Measurement of work-related psychological injury with depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the level of psychological injury caused by work-related stress as well as the severity of depression among workers. METHOD: First, we conducted an online survey and recruited 500 workers diagnosed with depression or adjustment disorder to investigate what type of stress they experienced within six months before onset. Second, we conducted another online survey and recruited 767 participants who experienced some form of work-related stress. All the participants were classified into four groups by whether or not they were diagnosed with depression and whether or not they quit their jobs due to work-related stress. We used the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to measure psychological injury caused by work-related stressful events and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 to assess the severity of depression. RESULTS: In study 1, 62.4% of workers diagnosed with depression or adjustment disorder experienced work-related stress within six months before onset. In study 2, the IES-R mean scores were 40.7 (SD = 23.1) for Group A (workers with depression and quit their jobs) and 36.67 (SD = 23.4) for Group B (workers with depression but stayed at their jobs), with both exceeding the cut-off point (24/25) of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), while the mean score of Group C (workers who did not have depression but quit their jobs because of work-related stress) was 20.74 (SD = 21.2), and it was 13.89 (SD = 17.4) for Group D (workers who had work-related stress but stayed at their jobs), with both of them below the cut-off point of PTSD. The total scores of IES-R of Group A and Group B were significantly higher than those of Group C and Group D(p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the scores of IES-R and PHQ-9 for all four groups (r = 0.708). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that it is necessary to measure not only depressive symptoms but also the level of psychological injury resulting from stressful events in the workplace to assess workers with depression.

Work-related stress, reason for consultation and diagnosis-specific sick leave: How do they add up?

Work-related stress is common in Western society and disorders associated with stress are often managed in primary health care. This study was set to increase the understanding of the relationship between reason for consultation, work-related stress and diagnosis-specific sick leave for primary health care patients. The longitudinal observational study included 232 employed non-sick listed patients at seven primary health care centres in Sweden. Of these patients, 102 reported high work-related stress, as measured with the Work Stress Questionnaire, and 84 were on registered sick leave within one year after inclusion. The study showed that, compared to those who did not report high work-related stress, highly stressed patients more often sought care for mental symptoms (60/102 versus 24/130), sleep disturbance (37/102 versus 22/130) and fatigue (41/102 versus 34/130). The risk for sick leave with a mental diagnosis within a year after base-line was higher among patients reporting high work-related stress than among those who did not (RR 2.97, 95% CI 1.59;5.55). No such association was however found for the risk of sick leave with a musculoskeletal diagnosis (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.22;1.37). Seeking care for mental symptoms, sleep disturbance and fatigue were associated with having a future mental sick leave diagnosis (p-values < 0.001), while seeking care for musculoskeletal symptoms was associated with having a future musculoskeletal sick leave diagnosis (p-value 0.009). In summary, compared to those who did not report high work-related stress, patients with high work-related stress more often sought care for mental symptoms, sleep disturbance and fatigue which lead to a mental sick leave diagnosis. Reporting high work-related stress was, however, not linked to having sought care for musculoskeletal symptoms nor future sick leave due to a musculoskeletal diagnosis. Hence, both patients and general practitioners seem to characterize work-related stress as a mental complaint.

Estrés relacionado con el trabajo y sintomatología mental en personas trabajadoras: Un análisis de género / Work-related stress and mental symptoms in working people: A gender analysis

El objetivo fue analizar el estrés laboral de mujeres y hombres con empleo y categorías laborales y demográficas similares, estudiando su asociación con la sintomatología mental. Estudio exploratoriodescriptivo y transversal con una muestra de conveniencia formada por 2643 personas con empleo y edades entre 18 y 64 años de las cuales el 54.3% son hombres y el 45.7% mujeres. Todas fueron evaluadas mediante cinco autoinformes y una hoja de recogida de datos sociodemográficos y de usos del tiempo. Resultados: El 67.5% de los hombres y el 66.5% de las mujeres tuvo algún tipo de estrés relacionado con el trabajo, no existiendo diferencias entre mujeres y hombres en ninguna de las medidas de estrés laboral, en insatisfacción con el rol laboral, ni en la asociación entre el estrés laboral y la sintomatología mental, asociación que era muy baja en mujeres y en hombres. Las mujeres tenían más estrés crónico no laboral y mayores contrariedades diarias que los hombres, además de mayor sintomatología mental de ansiedad, depresión grave, somática y de disfunción social. Asimismo, dedicaban más tiempo a las tareas domésticas y de cuidado y menos al ocio y a las actividades físico-deportivas que los hombres. Conclusiones: los resultados evidenciaron que el rol laboral no supone amenazas específicas para la salud mental de las mujeres con empleo, aunque sí parecen suponerlas su mayor dedicación a las tareas domésticas y de cuidado. Los resultados del presente trabajo son relevantes para el diseño de políticas y programas destinados a fomentar la salud de la ciudadanía y al logro de mayor igualdad de género(AU)

The objective was to analyze work stress in women and men with similar occupation and demographic categories, studying its association with mental symptomatology. Exploratory-descriptive and cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 2643 employed persons aged 18 to 64 years, 54.3% of whom were men and 45.7% women. All were assessed by five self-reports and a sociodemographic and time-use data collection sheet. Results: 67.5% of the men and 66.5% of the women had some type of work-related stress. There were no differences between women and men in any of the measures of work stress, in dissatisfaction with the work role, or in the association between work stress and mental symptomatology, association that was very low in both women and men. Women had more chronic non-work stress and greater daily hassles than men, as well as greater symptomatology of anxiety, severe depression, somatic and social dysfunction. In addition, they spent more time on housework and caregiving and less time on leisure and physical-sports activities than men. Conclusions: the results show that the work role does not pose specific threats to the mental health of working women, although their greater dedication to domestic and caregiving tasks does seem to do so. The results of this study are relevant for the design of policies and programs aimed at promoting the health of citizens and achieving greater gender equality(AU)

Occupational exposure to work-related stress, a proposal of a pilot study to detect psychological distress in collar-workers.

Introduction: Work-related psychosocial risks have been identified as significant occupational health and safety risks; the occupational physicians must assess and monitor the health status of workers in order to verify that work is not a source of harm to exposed operators. The aim of the study was to investigate the outcomes related to anxiety and depression traits in workers exposed to stress-related work. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to a large population of Italian public administration workers; the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale questionnaire was used to measure depression, the Self rating Anxiety Scale was used to measure anxiety, the UK Management Standards Indicator tool questionnaire was used to assess work adjustment. A descriptive analysis, a multivariate analysis, as well as logistic regression models were used to assess the health outcomes related to stress. Results: A total of 292 workers participated in the study; 100% of participants had a Centre for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale score over the cut-off; 41.78% had a Self rating Anxiety Scale score over the cut-off; the results support a correlation between the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale results and the UK Management Standards Indicator tool results; and a correlation between Self-rating Anxiety Scale results and the UK Management Standards Indicator tool results. Conclusions: The Demand, Management, Support and Relationship results were associated with mental health outcomes, and it could be a useful tool in occupational medicine, to identify workers at risk for negative mental health outcomes, becoming an essential tool in workers' health assessment and for prevention of mental health disorders.

Face, content, criterion and construct validity assessment of a newly developed tool to assess and classify work-related stress (TAWS- 16).

INTRODUCTION: As work-stress, is associated with Non Communicable Diseases, and decreased work productivity, health and economic benefits are expected from periodic work-stress screening among employees using valid and reliable tools. Tool to Assess and classify Work Stress (TAWS- 16) was developed to overcome limitations in existing work-stress assessment tools in India. This study aims to test face, content, criterion and construct validity of TAWS- 16 in a sample of managerial-supervisory employees. METHODS: Nine domain experts rated face and content validity of TAWS- 16. Content validity was measured by Content Validity Indices (I-CVI, S-CVI) and Modified Kappa statistics. Empirical validity was tested by analysing data reported from 356 Information Technology (IT) professionals wherein Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted for the assessment of Construct Validity. Self-reported data was collected in an unlinked and anonymous manner using a web-link, which was emailed to the study subjects, after initial introductory telephone or personal conversation. Criterion Validity was tested against stress sub-scale of DASS- 21. This study was approved by NIMHANS ethics committee. RESULTS: Findings revealed that TAWS- 16 has good face validity. The content validity is acceptable (CVI = 0.829). Construct Validity is appropriate as 60.8% of the total variance was explained by the factors identified in our study. Criterion Validity was moderate (Kappa Value 0.208) due to inappropriate work-stress instrument for comparison with TAWS- 16. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, TAWS- 16 demonstrated good face, content and construct validity. It measures work-stressors, coping abilities and psycho-somatic symptoms associated with work-stress. We recommend use of TAWS- 16 for periodic screening and classification of work-stress among employees.

Emotional distress symptoms and their determinants: screening of non-clinical hospital staff in an Egyptian University hospital.

BACKGROUND: Non-clinical hospital staff were rarely studied despite their potential exposure to workplace stressors. We aimed to measure the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress (emotional distress symptoms) and determine their association with perceived job stress level and socioeconomic factors among non-clinical hospital staff. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ain-Shams University Hospitals from March to May 2019. Tools were the Arabic Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, Workplace Stress Scale, and Socioeconomic status scale. Independent correlates were determined using multivariable ordinal regression. RESULTS: Out of 462 participants, 72.5% reported receiving insufficient income and 54.8% showed Effort-reward imbalance. Job stress was scored as severe/potentially dangerous by 30.1%. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress were 67.5, 69.0, and 51.7%; and the severe/extremely severe levels were 20.8, 34.6, and 17.6% respectively. Across all the severity levels, the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and stress were progressively higher with more serious levels of income insufficiency [in debt versus able to save, OR:5.82 (95%CI:2.35-14.43), OR:3.84 (95%CI:1.66-8.91), and OR:3.01 (95%CI:1.20-7.55) respectively] and with higher job stress levels. Specifically, the likelihood of depression, anxiety, and stress increased by 74, 56, and 53% respectively with feelings of unpleasant/unsafe work conditions and by 64, 38, and 62% respectively with the presence of work-life conflict; while the likelihood of depression and stress increased by 32 and 33% respectively when there was difficult communication with superiors; and only the likelihood of depression increased by 23% with underutilization of skills. CONCLUSION: Non-clinical hospital staff were commonly affected by emotional distress symptoms with high rates of severe/very severe levels, and they often considered their workplace stress as severe/potentially dangerous. Workplace stress and income insufficiency were strong correlates with emotional distress symptoms. Decreasing work-life conflict, enhancing leadership skills, and mitigation of the economic hardship are needed.

[The new Maugeri diagnostic protocol for work-related stress and mobbing (MASD-2)]. / Il nuovo protocollo diagnostico Maugeri per stress lavoro-correlato e mobbing (MaSD-2).

SUMMARY: Occupational stress can exceed the workers' individual capacity to adapt, and cause psychopathological conditions, including adjustment disorder (AD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for which medico-legal reporting is mandatory by law. Since the early 2000s, an interdisciplinary diagnostic protocol has been in use at our Institute to address patients towards an appropriate therapeutic path, in order to promote their psychological well-being and work reintegration. In 2017, the protocol was updated and expanded. The current version (MaSD-2) includes: occupational medicine examination, psychological counselling, psychiatric interview, and psychodiagnostic testing: Short-Negative Acts Questionnaire (S-NAQ), Cognitive Behavioral Assessment 2.0 (CBA-2.0), SCID (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), Maugeri Stress Index - Reduced form (MASI-R). Between 2017 and 2019, we used the MaSD-2 to assess, for suspected psychopathological work-related problems, 198 patients (120 women and 78 men; mean age SD: 47.9 9.0 years). Nine (4.5%), already examined with the original version of the protocol, received diagnostic confirmation (2 cases of paranoid personality disorder, 7 of work-related anxiety-depressive disorder). Of the other 189 subjects, three (1.6%) were not affected by psychiatric disease, 12 (6.3%) had a psychiatric disorder (e.g., anxiety disorder, mood disorder, personality disorder) independent of work, 160 (84.7%) a work-related anxiety and/or depressive disorder. DA was identified in 12 cases (6.3%), and two patients (1.1%) were diagnosed with DA in pre-existent DPTS, for a total of 14 medico-legal reports of occupational disease. Compared to the past, the case record presents a much higher percentage of psychiatric disorders related to occupational stress. This may be due to a greater sensitivity of the new diagnostic protocol, and to a better selection of the patients referred to us. Women and tertiary workers continue to be at greater risk, with significant involvement of health professionals. Diagnoses of DA and DPTS remain rare, confirming the need for a rigorous and cautious interdisciplinary approach, aimed at selecting the cases for which to start medico-legal procedures. Finally, the study calls for adequate preventive measures.

Occupational Stress Monitoring Using Biomarkers and Smartwatches: A Systematic Review.

This article presents a systematic review of the literature concerning scientific publications on wrist wearables that can help to identify stress levels. The study is part of a research project aimed at modeling a stress surveillance system and providing coping recommendations. The investigation followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In total, 38 articles were selected for full reading, and 10 articles were selected owing to their alignment with the study proposal. The types of technologies used in the research stand out amongst our main results after analyzing the articles. It is noteworthy that stress assessments are still based on standardized questionnaires, completed by the participants. The main biomarkers collected by the devices used in the selected works included: heart rate variation, cortisol analysis, skin conductance, body temperature, and blood volume at the wrist. This study concludes that developing a wrist wearable for stress identification using physiological and chemical sensors is challenging but possible and applicable.

Validation of the work stress screener (WOSS-13) and resilience at work scale (ReWoS-24).

OBJECTIVE: Work stress is a global issue with countries such as the UK requiring organisations to protect employees. Work stress can be beneficial (challenging) or harmful (overwhelming), and characteristics such as resilience are thought to mitigate some of the negative effects. This paper describes the validation of two new scales. The WOSS-13 was designed to measure both benign and harmful experiences of work stress, while the ReWoS-24 captures information about individual and team resilience. METHODS: For both scales the assessment of individual items, domains captured by scale items, reliability and validity were completed using data from a survey of 1980 individuals from the University of York, England. A sub-sample of respondents (N = 609) provided additional data for retest purposes. Analyses were performed using these two samples. RESULTS: Responses to scale items were found to be normally distributed. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the WOSS-13 was comprised of three subscales: positive work-related affect/stress, general positive affect and harmful stress. The ReWoS-24 is presented as four sub-scales: general well-being, well-being at work, satisfaction with job performance and team resilience. All subscales demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.80). Both scales complement existing measures of stress and mental health. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the WOSS-13 is a valid and reliable measure which enables the assessment of both benign and harmful forms of work stress. The ReWoS-24 is a valid and reliable measure of individual and team resilience. These scales could be used in workplaces to assess for and mitigate against, harmful work stress.

A multimodal sensor dataset for continuous stress detection of nurses in a hospital.

Advances in wearable technologies provide the opportunity to monitor many physiological variables continuously. Stress detection has gained increased attention in recent years, mainly because early stress detection can help individuals better manage health to minimize the negative impacts of long-term stress exposure. This paper provides a unique stress detection dataset created in a natural working environment in a hospital. This dataset is a collection of biometric data of nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak. Studying stress in a work environment is complex due to many social, cultural, and psychological factors in dealing with stressful conditions. Therefore, we captured both the physiological data and associated context pertaining to the stress events. We monitored specific physiological variables such as electrodermal activity, Heart Rate, and skin temperature of the nurse subjects. A periodic smartphone-administered survey also captured the contributing factors for the detected stress events. A database containing the signals, stress events, and survey responses is publicly available on Dryad.

Factores de riesgo psicosocial intralaborales y estrés en empleados de una compañía constructora de Colombia / Intra-labor psychosocial risk factors and stress in employees of a construction company Colombian

Los riesgos psicosociales intralaborales asociados al estrés interfieren de manera negativa en el bienestar de los trabajadores de las empresas. En el sector de la construcción, los riesgos de mayor atención están enfocados a cuidar la salud física, por tal motivo el ministerio de protección social de Colombia valido la batería de riesgo Psicosocial. Objetivo: Identificar los riesgos psicosociales asociados a los altos niveles de estrés en los empleados de una constructora de la Ciudad de Bucaramanga Santander, con el fin establecer medidas preventivas. Materiales y Métodos: La población objeto de estudio fueron los 101 empleados con que contaba la compañía constructora de Colombia, de los cuales se aplicó el instrumento a 98 de ellos. Estudio de tipo descriptivo, cuantitativo de corte transversal. Se aplicó la Batería de instrumentos para la evaluación de factores de riesgo psicosocial intralaboral validada. Resultados: Los factores de riesgo psicosocial intralaborales fueron el estrés en un nivel muy alto en un 40.8% y este tuvo una relación con las recompensas derivadas de la organización que presentaron un valor (P<0.01), seguido de las demandas del ambiente con un valor (P<0.02 y las exigencias de responsabilidad en el cargo con un valor (P<0.05). Conclusiones: Las dinámicas laborales del personal operativo generaron niveles de estrés muy altos. Los resultados de esta investigación evidenciaron que los síntomas asociados al estrés pueden afectar la salud física y mental de los colaboradores(AU)

Intra-labor Intra-labor psychosocial risks associated with stress interfere negatively with the company workers well-being. In the construction sector, the risks of greater attention are focused on taking care of physical health, for this reason the Ministry of Social Protection of Colombia validated the Psychosocial risk battery. Objective: To identify the psychosocial risks associated with high levels of stress in the employees of a construction company in the City of Bucaramanga Santander, in order to establish preventive measures. Materials and Methods: The population under study were the 101 employees of the Colombian construction company, of whom the instrument was applied to 98 of them. Descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study. The validated battery of instruments for the evaluation of intralabor psychosocial risk factors was applied. Results: The intra-labor psychosocial risk factors were: stress at a very high level in 40.8% and this had a relationship with the rewards derived from the organization that presented a value (P <0.01), followed by the demands of the environment with a value (P<0.02) and the demands of responsibility in the position with a value (P<0.05). Conclusions: The labor dynamics of the operative personnel generated very high levels of stress. The results of this investigation showed that the symptoms associated with stress can affect the physical and mental health of employees(AU)

Burnout in anaesthesiology residents: A systematic review of its prevalence and stressors.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is an occupational hazard precipitated by chronic exposure to excessive work-related stress. It can have negative impacts on the health and safety of patients and clinicians. Anaesthesiologists are at a high risk of burnout; anaesthetic residents especially may experience higher levels of stress as a result of training requirements and postgraduate examinations. However, the scale of burnout among anaesthesiology residents is not well evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of burnout and identify risk factors contributing to it among anaesthesiology residents worldwide and evaluate preventive strategies at institutional and departmental levels. DESIGN: A systematic review without meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus and PsycInfo for English language articles published up to 24 May 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: The inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis were a reported burnout prevalence in anaesthesiology residents and the use of an assessment tool. Exclusion criteria were reviews/meta-analyses/correspondence, non-English articles, articles without anaesthesiology residents and lacking information on burnout prevalence and metrics for assessment. RESULTS: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria; seven studies utilised the 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and five utilised the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (aMBI). The reported burnout prevalence among anaesthesiology residents varied between 2.7 and 67.0% (median = 24.7%). Differences in burnout criteria contributed significantly to methodological heterogeneity. Factors predisposing to burnout included long working hours, poor workplace relationships, professional examinations and adverse clinical events. Protected rest time and restricted work hours were identified as effective strategies to prevent burnout. Other preventive strategies include mindfulness and resilience courses, as well as departmental initiatives such as exercise. CONCLUSION: Burnout is common amongst anaesthesiology residents. Standardised tools and diagnostic criteria are needed to distinguish methodological heterogeneity from true heterogeneity in study populations. Interventions have been proposed to improve management strategies to minimise burnout anaesthesiology residents. PROSPERO REFERENCE: CRD42019140472.

[Association between occupational stress and nicotine dependence in in health workers]. / Asociación entre estrés laboral y dependencia nicotínica en trabajadores de la salud.

Background: Stress is the result of the imbalance between the demands and pressures that the individual faces. Stress tests the individual's ability to cope with her activity, and this is a health problem for the worker. Objective: To explore the association between occupational stress and nicotine dependence in healthcare workers from the Family Medicine Unit No. 92 of the IMSS. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study that included 180 active smoking workers, occupational stress was evaluated with the Psychosomatic Problems for Occupational Stress questionnaire adapted by IMSS and nicotine dependence with the Fagerström questionnaire. Student's t tests and Fisher's Exact test were used. The statistical analysis was performed with the Stata 15 program. Results: The prevalence of occupational stress was 72.2% (42.8% mild, 20.6% moderate and 8.9% severe). Women presented greater work stress compared to men (76.1% vs. 56.0%; p = 0.008). Nicotine dependence was 49.4% mild, 35.6% moderate and 15.0% severe, the average of the Fagerström test was higher in women compared to men (3.75 vs. 2.83; p = 0.025), in addition an association was found between the work stress and nicotine dependence (p = 0.011). Conclusions: 72% of the workers presented work stress, in the same way the association between work stress and nicotine dependence was found. Identifying the main causes of work stress, together with the support of smoking cessation programs, would help in the well-being of health personnel in FMUs.

Introducción: el estrés es el resultado del desequilibrio entre las exigencias y presiones a las que se enfrenta el individuo. El estrés pone a prueba la capacidad del individuo para afrontar su actividad y esto supone un problema de salud para el trabajador. Objetivo: explorar la asociación entre el estrés laboral y la dependencia a la nicotina en una población de trabajadores de la salud de la Unidad de Medicina Familiar No. 92 del IMSS. Material y métodos: estudio transversal que incluyó a 180 trabajadores fumadores activos, el estrés laboral fue evaluado con el cuestionario de Problemas Psicosomáticos para Estrés Ocupacional adaptado por el IMSS y la dependencia a la nicotina con el cuestionario de Fagerström. Se utilizaron pruebas de t de Student y prueba exacta de Fisher, el análisis estadístico fue realizado con el programa Stata 15. Resultados: la prevalencia de estrés laboral fue de 72.2% (leve, 42.8%; moderada, 20.6%, y severa, 8.9%). Las mujeres presentaron mayor estrés laboral en comparación con los hombres (76.1% frente a 56.0%; p = 0.008). La dependencia a la nicotina fue leve, 49.4%; moderada, 35.6%, y severa, 15.0%. El promedio de la prueba de Fagerström fue mayor en mujeres en comparación con hombres (3.75 frente a 2.83; p = 0.025), además se encontró una asociación entre el estrés laboral y la dependencia a la nicotina (p = 0.011). Conclusiones: el 72% de los trabajadores presentaron estrés laboral, de igual modo se encontró la asociación entre el estrés laboral y la dependencia a la nicotina. Identificar las principales causas de estrés laboral junto con el apoyo de programas para dejar de fumar, ayudarían en el bienestar del personal de salud en las UMF.

A smart computer mouse with biometric sensors for unobtrusive office work-related stress monitoring.

Health disorders related to the prolonged exposure to stress are very common among office workers. The need for an automated and unobtrusive method of detecting and monitoring occupational stress is imperative and intensifies in the current conditions, where the pandemic COVID-19 causes changes in the working norms globally. In this study, we present a smart computer mouse with biometric sensors integrated in such a way that its structure and functionality remain unaffected. Photoplethysmography (PPG) signal is collected from user's thumb by a PPG sensor placed on the side wall of the mouse, while galvanic skin response (GSR) is measured from the palm through two electrodes placed on the top surface of the mouse. Biosignals are processed by a microcontroller and can be transferred wirelessly over Wi-Fi connection. Both the sensors and the microcontroller have been placed inside the mouse, enabling its plug and play use, without any additional equipment. The proposed module has been developed as part of a system that infers about the stress levels of office workers, based on their interactions with the computer and its peripheral devices.

Estrés ocupacional en docentes universitarios expuestos a riesgos biológicos / Occupational stress in university teachers exposed to biological risks

El estrés laboral ha sido un factor determinante en la aparición de enfermedades en los docentes universitarios, lo cual ha generado absentismo, errores y accidentes en los ambientes de trabajo. El objetivo de esta investigación fue caracterizar el estrés laboral en personal docente universitario del área de la salud, con riesgo biológico. Se realizó una investigación descriptiva, transversal, de campo y prospectiva, con diseño no experimental, en 53 docentes de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, de la Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Ecuador, desde junio de 2018 a junio de 2021, aplicándose el Instrumento de Estrés Laboral OIT-OMS y la estimación índice numérico de riesgo biológico para entornos académicos. Prevalecieron las mujeres (73,6%), mayores de cincuenta años (52,8%) con estrés nivel bajo. Todas las dimensiones del estrés en general mostraron niveles bajos (2,25 ± 1,05), no obstante, al discriminar según el cargo académico, los pocos casos de niveles altos fueron los Auxiliares Titulares, específicamente en las dimensiones: tecnología, clima organizacional y respaldo de grupo, el riesgo biológico ocurre en el 7,5% de los casos y 64,2% similar a la población en general. Se determinó que existen docentes con niveles de estrés que pudieran afectar su homeostasis psico-biológica, por lo cual se recomienda su intervención, independientemente de su escalafón académico o dedicación laboral(AU)

Work stress has been a determining factor in the appearance of illnesses in university teachers, which has generated absenteeism, errors and accidents in work environments. The objective of this research was to characterize work stress in university teaching staff in the health area, with biological risk. A descriptive, cross-sectional, field and prospective research was carried out, with a non-experimental design, in 53 teachers of the Faculty of Health Sciences, of the Technical University of Manabí, Ecuador, from June 2018 to June 2021, applying the ILO-WHO Occupational Stress Instrument and the estimation of the numerical index of biological risk for academic environments. Women (73.6%), older than fifty years (52.8%) with low level stress prevailed. All the stress dimensions in general showed low levels (2.25 ± 1.05), however, when discriminating according to the academic position, the few cases with high levels were the Titular Assistants, specifically in the dimensions: technology, organizational climate and group support, biological risk occurs in 7.5% of cases and 64.2% similar to the general population. It was determined that there are teachers with stress levels that could affect their psycho-biological homeostasis, for which their intervention is recommended, regardless of their academic rank or work dedication(AU)

Continuous Stress Detection of Hospital Staff Using Smartwatch Sensors and Classifier Ensemble.

High stress levels among hospital workers could be harmful to both workers and the institution. Enabling the workers to monitor their stress level has many advantages. Knowing their own stress level can help them to stay aware and feel more in control of their response to situations and know when it is time to relax or take some actions to treat it properly. This monitoring task can be enabled by using wearable devices to measure physiological responses related to stress. In this work, we propose a smartwatch sensors based continuous stress detection method using some individual classifiers and classifier ensembles. The experiment results show that all of the classifiers work quite well to detect stress with an accuracy of more than 70%. The results also show that the ensemble method obtained higher accuracy and F1-measure compared to all of the individual classifiers. The best accuracy was obtained by the ensemble with soft voting strategy (ES) with 87.10% while the hard voting strategy (EH) achieved the best F1-measure with 77.45%.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention for elementary school teachers: a mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: In the Netherlands, more than half of the teachers working in primary education experience high levels of work stress. Compared to other professions, teachers are more likely to drop out from work and develop mental illnesses. Almost one in five even choose a new profession within 5 years after starting as a teacher. This indicates an urgent need for interventions to reduce stress levels in teachers. However, few evidence-based effective interventions targeting stress and work-related problems in the primary educational system are available. AIM: In the current paper, we describe the protocol for a randomized controlled study (RCT) comparing an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention with a wait list control condition in primary school teachers. We hypothesize that teachers who participate in the MBSR programme will report less stress (primary outcome) than those in the control group at post-test and at 3-month follow-up. We also expect a decrease in teachers' absenteeism and improvements of mental health, teacher skills, classroom climate quality and the pupil-teacher relationship (secondary outcomes). Finally, we hypothesize that self-compassion, mindfulness skills and emotion regulation skills could mediate effects. METHODS/DESIGN: A mixed-method study will be conducted among N=155 Dutch primary school teachers (grade 1 to 6). The quantitative study will be an RCT, in which teachers will be randomly allocated to the MBSR or waiting list control condition. Trial participants will not be made actively aware of their condition. The data analysts will be blinded. Online questionnaires will be sent to teachers before and after the MBSR programme, and at 3-month follow-up. Information about absenteeism will be collected. In the qualitative part of the study, we will interview teachers to examine their perceived effects of MBSR on their teaching skills, the classroom climate quality and the pupil-teacher relationship. DISCUSSION: This protocol paper describes a mixed-method study design with an RCT and a qualitative evaluation to evaluate an MBSR programme on perceived stress among primary school teachers. If the MBSR programme proves to be effective, it could be implemented as a programme to reduce stress and improve mental health and teaching outcomes in primary school teachers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederland Trial Register NL. Registered on 19 November 2019-retrospectively registered, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8171.