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Background: This study aimed to explore perceived work stress and its association with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction and the mediating effect of psychological flexibility on these relationships. Method: Two hundred and fifty-one disability support workers across Australia reported on work stress, psychological flexibility, burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction through an online anonymous survey. Results: Perceived work stress was found to have a significant relationship with burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. Psychological flexibility had a significant mediating effect on all three relationships. Conclusion: These results highlight the role that psychological flexibility has in response to work stress and the development of burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction in disability support workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leadership plays a key role in the well-being of military personnel, either contributing to health improvement or, conversely, becoming a source of stress. In the present study we propose that security providing leadership can reduce work stress in the military context. Furthermore, we suggest that security-providing leaders exert their positive influence on work stress by creating a psychological safety climate and preventing organizational dehumanization. A sample of 204 members (72.5% men) of the Spanish Air Force volunteered to participate in this empirical study and completed an online questionnaire and both the direct and indirect structural equation models were analyzed. Results show a negative relationship between security providing leadership and work stress. Additionally, organizational dehumanization and psychological safety climate act as mediators in this relationship. These results support this novel approach to leadership in the military context. They also offer new ways to create better organizational environments. By treating their subordinates in a personalized manner and supporting them, security-providing leaders can improve employees' perceptions of psychological safety climate and combat feelings of organizational dehumanization, which, in turn, can reduce work stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This study aims to compare the work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms of nurses and office workers and to determine the relationship between work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Methods. A total of 127 nurses and 127 office workers participated in the cross-sectional study and comparative study. Data were collected using the perceived work stress scale and the Maudsley obsessive-compulsive inventory. Results. Nurses had higher work stress scores (p = 0.003) in general than office workers. In particular, nurses with a low (p < 0.039) and average (p < 0.007) economic status, nurses who had been employed for 1–10 years (p < 0.001) and nurses working 40 h per week (p < 0.042) had higher work stress scores than office workers. There was no difference (p > 0.05) between obsessive-compulsive symptom scores. There was a positive significant relationship (p < 0.001) between work stress and obsessive-compulsive symptom scores of nurses and office workers. Work stress explains 6.1% of the obsessive-compulsive symptoms in nurses and 12.4% in office workers. Conclusion. The results of this study concluded that work stress of nurses is higher than that of office workers and work stress affects the obsessive-compulsive symptoms in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to unearth the influence of major factors of Indoor(Green Spaces and Green Ambient Atmospherics) and Outdoor Green Atmospherics on employee well-being in Indian 5-star hotels. Responses were obtained from 328 employees in the Indian tourism sector using a non-probabilistic purposive sampling method. A partial least-square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied for the analysis. The findings revealed that green indoor and outdoor atmospherics have a significant positive contribution toward the well-being and enhanced work environment among the workforce with work stress being a significantly negative mediator. The findings contribute to the existing studies as it empirically verify the hypothesized relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recent increase in workload and stress experienced by healthcare workers (HCW) is a significant global concern. Mindfulness enables one to be aware of emotions, thoughts, and present moment experiences. Objectives: The primary objective of this research is to investigate the correlates between smoking, occupational stress, and mindful awareness levels, among HCWs within the private healthcare sector. This study was conducted at a tertiary-level university-affiliated hospital in Istanbul between January – February 2023. 208 HCW participated, yielding a response rate of 20%. The participants were requested to complete a 61-item questionnaire consisting of demographics, General Work Stress Scale(GWS), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Test to Assess the Psychological Dependence on Smoking (TAPDS). Results: Smokers had significantly higher levels of mean GWS scores than nonsmokers. The mean MAAS scores of smokers were the lowest in the group with the highest scores of psychological dependence; it was highest in the group with the lowest scores. A negative correlation was found between general work stress and mindful awareness levels and between psychological dependence on smoking and mindfulness levels. HCWs aged 45 and older had significantly lower general stress than others. Conclusion: This study showed that the general work stress levels of smoker HCWs were higher than those of nonsmokers. Mindful awareness level was the lowest in the group, with the highest scores in psychological dependence on smoking. There was a negative correlation between psychological dependence on smoking and both work stress and mindful awareness levels. This study demonstrated that high work stress and low mindful awareness levels are not only related to each other but also to high psychological dependence on smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research drew upon a mixed-method approach to gain further insight into workplace incivility and its impact on an employee's preferred choice of coping strategies (Avoidant Coping, Task Focused Coping, and Emotion Focused Coping). Utilizing a convenience sampling approach, data was collected from working adults that were employed in companies within the United Arab Emirates for a period of at least 6 months (N = 151). Three simple linear regressions and an inductive thematic analysis were conducted to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative findings revealed that workplace incivility significantly predicted avoidant coping as well as emotion focused coping. The complementary thematic analysis further revealed that employees who were a target of incivility were negatively impacted and often looked to trusted confidants to share their experiences with. The results of this study hope to be used as a base for developing intervention initiatives in organizations to prevent workplace incivility from escalating to more aggressive forms of behavior by providing employees with the support needed to better cope and address such situations. Implementing programs such as mindfulness training, cognitive-behavioral stress management, and proactive coping interventions are recommended to better support employees in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although expecting to undertake core tasks affirming their professional identity, employees often have to deal with tasks they perceive as unnecessary or unreasonable. The concept of illegitimate tasks captures this phenomenon and has attracted growing attention since its first appearance. Illegitimate tasks have been found to explain unique variance in well-being and strain. Given a burgeoning body of literature, a systematic narrative review of illegitimate tasks is warranted. This review summarises research regarding illegitimate tasks' antecedents (leadership, workplace characteristics, individual characteristics, and job characteristics) and outcomes (emotions, work attitudes and cognition, work behaviour, health and well-being, and interpersonal relationships). In addition, we review work done to date regarding the moderators and mediators of these relationships. Finally, we offer future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive empirical research has found that unfairness at work can have deleterious effects on employees' work outcomes. Our study seeks to advance this perspective by using two alternative approaches of unfairness at work–organizational (in)justice (OJ) and effort–reward imbalance (ERI) and its consequences on two separate samples of employees. A total of 583 Pakistani and 241 French employees participated in two samples, which provided cross-sectional data concerning the relationships between unfairness and stress outcomes. Our results revealed that both unfairness approaches (OJ and ERI) were positively related to jo-burnout and turnover intention. Specifically, we found that OJ has shown stronger predictive power to examining stress outcomes in the Pakistani sample. ERI showed a strong link with stress outcomes in the French sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) are widespread in organizations, but their relationship to employees' work stress has been unclear. Based on the model of effort-reward imbalance (ERI), our study investigates this relationship and takes into account the role of social comparisons and denied i-deals. Two types of i-deals, flexibility i-deals and development i-deals, have been studied. We applied a time-lagged research design for which we collected data from 120 employees at two points in time to test our hypotheses. The results show that development i-deals significantly reduce employees' ERI, whereas flexibility i-deals do not relate to employees' ERI. Above that, the denial of i-deals increases ERI. Our results also show that social comparisons with co-workers' i-deals can influence the relationship between an employee's i-deals and his or her ERI. Hence, this study demonstrates that i-deals can affect employees' ERI, which may have diverse health-related and job-related consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this intensive longitudinal study was (1) to explore the temporal evolution of two mental health indicators (anxiety and depressive symptoms, and insomnia) throughout COVID-19 lockdown in Spain, and (2) to examine its association with two work-related stressors (job insecurity and work-family conflict). A sample of 1519 participants responded to several questionnaires during the lockdown (between 16 March and 29 April 2020). Results of latent growth modelling showed a curvilinear increase of our two mental health indicators over time (a logarithmic growth for anxiety and depression, accentuated during the first part of the lockdown, and a quadratic growth for insomnia, accentuated during the second part). Regarding its association with work-related stressors, we found that higher levels of job insecurity and work-family conflict were related to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Additionally, we found a significant interaction between time and the two forms of work-family conflict (work-to-home and home-to-work), showing that people with more work-family conflict experienced stronger growth in all mental-health indicators. Overall, this study contributes to the description of the temporal dynamics of mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain, as well as its association with two key work-related stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional athletes achieve success while experiencing tremendous stress from their work and family domains. However, few studies have examined stress among professional athlete couples to explore how professional athletes' job stress and family demands influence their work-family interactions with their partners. The present study extends athlete stress research by exploring the specific stress events that interact with professional athletes' family demands to understand work-family and family-work conflict in sports and ways to generate cross over effect between these couples. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Data were collected from seven professional athletes and their romantic partners (7 couples). A thematic analysis was utilised to interpret the transcripts. According to the results, specific stress events (e.g., lost games, sports injuries, requested trades, and unexpected retirement) and family demands (e.g., family responsibilities, financial worries, and raising children) contribute to athletes' work and family role conflict. Moreover, this study interprets the dynamic process of cross over effects in professional athlete couples based on empathic reactions, common stressors, and family members' indirect influencing. The results provide insight into how professional athletes' work stress under unstable conditions influences both the interpersonal and intrapersonal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated that work stress has a significant impact on unsafe behaviors. This study explored the impacts of work stress on unsafe behaviors quantitatively using experimental methodology by developing a representative operation task to simulate the actual work in coal mines. The participants' work stress and unsafe behaviors were measured by the salivary cortisol concentrations and error rates, respectively. The results indicated that the experimental scenarios could effectively induce work stress, and there was a critical point from where unsafe behaviors were considerably minimized. When the stress level was below the critical point, there was a linear relationship between unsafe behaviors and the stress level. When the stress level was above the critical point, there was a quadratic relationship between them. The stress level below and above the critical point indicated challenge stress and hindrance stress, respectively. The results illustrated the feasibility of the experimental design, providing new ideas to eliminate unsafe behaviors induced by work stress among miners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the association between shift work and depressive symptoms in the prospective Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, considering various demographic, lifestyle and work-related factors. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D)-Scale (≥17 points defined as high symptoms) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) with a cutoff ≥9, or prescription of an anti-depressant. The definition of shift work included work hours outside 7:00 to 18:00, whereas night work was defined as a shift including work between 0:00 and 5:00. Poisson regression with robust error variances was calculated to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for age at follow-up, diurnal preference, monthly household income and education. Analyses were stratified by sex. We performed various sensitivity and stratified analyses to test the robustness of our results. At baseline, 1,500 gainfully employed subjects, 45–73 years of age and without a history of depression, were included. Until the 5-year follow-up, 896 participants were observed, and 486 participants survived through the 10-year follow-up. Although most analyses did not reach the level of formal statistical significance, women working night shifts tended to show increased relative risks for depressive symptoms according to the PHQ (RR = 1.78; 95% CI 0.71–4.45), in particular when working night shifts for ≥20 years (RR = 2.70; 95% CI 0.48–15.4). Stratification by age group revealed no increased risks among women above 60 years of age. Stratified analyses indicated that over-commitment was associated with higher risks for depressive symptoms among women (RR = 4.59; 95% CI 0.95–22.2 in the CES-D and RR = 12.7; 95% CI 2.89–56.1 in the PHQ). Exclusion of subgroups for the purpose of sensitivity analyses generally strengthened associations in women, whereas little evidence for an increased risk of depression remained among male shift workers. In summary, negative effects on depression were suggested among female shift workers, although results were based on small numbers. Among men, we did not identify consistently increased risks for depressive symptoms in relation to shift work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies testing the Person-Environment Fit Theory and the top-down approach in the subjective well-being literature have highlighted a gap in the effect of personal fit variables or traits and their relationships with environmental variables. The current study aims to examine the role of trait anger, stress, and burn-out on job satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect within the framework of Person-Environment Fit Theory and the top-down approach by using structural equation modeling. The study was conducted on 588 Turkish correctional officers working in low-, medium-, or maximum-security prisons. Similar to previous findings, a direct positive relationship was found between trait anger and negative affect. Similarly, work stress, burnout, and job satisfaction were positively and directly associated with each other. Besides, the mediating role of burnout and job satisfaction in the relationship among trait anger, work stress, and negative affect/positive affect was statistically significant. Moreover, the relationship between trait anger and negative affect/positive affect, as well as the relationship between work stress and positive affect, was mediated by burnout, while job satisfaction only mediated the relationship between work stress and positive affect. Implications are presented to improve the subjective well-being of correctional officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job-related stress may affect smoking initiation, progression, and intensity, therefore, it is important to have a better understanding of these associations to design targeted and effective workplace cessation programs. In this study, we aimed to synthesize existing literature concerning the relationship between job-related stress and tobacco use among adult workers (18 years and older). We searched articles indexed in six major databases (Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Ovid) between 1997 and March 2020. We included cross-sectional and cohort studies published in English that examined self-reported smoking status or change in smoking status as exposure variables, and job-related status as the outcome variable consistent with the Demand Control Support and Effort-Reward Imbalance models. We searched the databases using combinations of keywords including "occupational stress," or "job stress" or "work stress" or "job strain" and "smoking" or "tobacco use" or "tobacco consumption" or "cigarettes." Of 906 identified articles, 19 (n = 240,787 participants) were included in this review. Findings showed no clear association between job-related stress and smoking status (smoking vs nonsmoking) and smoking cessation. However, the findings suggest an association between job-related stress and changing smoking habits, toward heavier smoking. Our findings indicate that job-related stress may lead to increased smoking intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacationing provides potential recovery from work stress and is associated with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. This study considered psychological variables that might change as a vacation is approaching (fade-in) or after a vacation ends (fade-out) and how these associations might vary as a function of ongoing work stress. Methods: Sixty workers eligible for paid time off were recruited from the community. Multiple assessments occurred during an 8- to 10-week period spanning the period before and after a vacation. A piecewise random coefficient model compared changes over time (slopes) for pre- and post-vacation periods. Outcomes included affect, aggression, social support, and work stress. Results: Hostile affect, negative affect, stress, and physical aggression all declined significantly during the post-vacation period (relative to no change during the pre-vacation period). In addition, these changes in pre- versus post-vacation periods differed as a function of work stress, with some vacation benefits observed specifically among workers with low work stress. Conclusions: Findings indicate that vacations produced psychological benefits that persist beyond the vacation period. Vacation-associated benefits may serve as mechanisms underlying associations between vacations and slow developing disease. However, work stress appears to spillover and can thereby undermine a vacation's fade-in and fade-out benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic stress at work shows a moderate but robust longitudinal association with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Atherosclerosis is a pathophysiological process of most CVD, for which intima media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery is used as an early marker. Its relationship with stress at work has remained largely unexplored, and the present study therefore aimed to elucidate the association between stress at work, assessed as effort-reward imbalance (ERI), and IMT. This cross-sectional study comprised of 501 male German employees aged 42 (19–64) years at enrollment into the Mannheim Industrial Cohort Study. Clinical assessments used fasting blood samples and IMT measurement. Self-report questionnaires assessed sources of perceived stress. Analyses adjusted for medical history, life style, and socio-economic status (SES) indicators as well as general perceived stress and worries to determine the specificity of ERI. Linear regression models estimated the association of ERI with IMT, stratifying for age groups and adjusting for potential confounders. ERI ratio increased until the age of 50 years and abated thereafter. In participants younger than 50 years IMT measurements were not associated with ERI ratios. However, despite lower mean ERI ratios in participants older than 50 years, this age group showed a significant relationship with IMT (standardized Beta =.36, p <.01), adjusting for multiple confounders including general perceived stress and worries. These analyses suggest that atherosclerosis in older employees is specifically related to stress at work. Longitudinal studies will help to elucidate the temporal relationship between stress exposure and downstream biological mechanisms. Our study explored the association of job stress and the calcification of the carotid artery in German employees. We found out that this association is stronger in employees older than 50 years. In addition, it is independent of medical risk factors and stress caused by private issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has rapidly spread worldwide, with more than 136 million people infected. In this scenario, healthcare workers are among the professionals most at risk to experience burnout and other psychological symptoms. One-hundred-twenty healthcare professionals completed a survey, designed to measure different aspects of participants' working conditions and psychological response to the pandemic. Participants' burnout was positively and significantly predicted by work stress, workload and exposure to patients exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms and negatively predicted by organizational support, work engagement and by the adoption of adequate coping strategies. Furthermore, our findings revealed that the higher work stress, the more psychological symptoms were experienced by participants. In conclusion, these findings highlight the importance of considering work-related conditions and individual psychological variables to promptly support healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the ongoing outbreak of the novel COVID-19, few studies have been conducted on the stress arising from the pandemic. In this study, attributes of epidemic concerns perceived by hotel employees were examined, and their impact on work stress, employee well-being, self-rated mental health, organizational citizenship behavior, and employee-customer identification were verified. We found and verified four attributes based on qualitative and quantitative approaches. As a result of the structural equation analysis, it was found that the relationships between the proposed variables had significant effects. This study provides important insights into the impact of epidemics on hotel employee performance through the attributes of perceived epidemic concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work stress among coal miners may affect health and well-being, which could have safety implications for their work. The purpose of the present study is to explore the mechanism of how psychosocial safety climate, work stress and job burnout impact on the unsafe behavior of miners. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanxi Province, China during 3 months in 2018. A total of 862 male miners were recruited from 30 coal mines; participants were aged 23–49 years (M = 33.54 yrs), with mining experience of between 4 and 23 years (M = 7.36 yrs). Participants completed a cross-sectional survey which examined psychosocial safety climate, work stress, and burnout of miners. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical linear modeling were used to explore the mechanisms of psychosocial safety climate on unsafe behavior. Findings revealed that psychosocial safety climate can decrease the miners' unsafe behavior through the mediating role of work stress and job burnout. Ultimately these findings guide for coal administrators to avoid miners' unsafe behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify trajectories of effort-reward imbalance (ERI), to examine these with respect to demographic (age, gender, socio-economic position) and work-related (employment contract, work hours, shift work, sector) factors, and to investigate associations with different health indicators (self-rated health, depressive symptoms, migraine, sickness absence). The study used four waves of data (N = 6702), collected biennially within the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH). Using latent class growth modelling, we identified four trajectories: a stable low imbalance trajectory, which comprised 90% of all participants, and three change trajectories including a decreasing trajectory (4% of the participants), an inverted U-shaped trajectory and an increasing imbalance trajectory, both in 3% of the participants. Results indicate that a sizeable proportion of Swedish employees' experience imbalance between efforts and rewards at work. The most favourable trajectory comprised relatively more men and was characterised by better work-related characteristics than the less favourable ERI trajectories. All change trajectories were dominated by women and employees in the public sector. Health developments followed ERI trajectories, such that less favourable trajectories associated with impaired health and more favourable trajectories associated with better health. Sickness absence increased among all ERI trajectories, most so for the decreasing and increasing ERI trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have investigated factors that contribute to the mental health of probation and parole officers (PPOs). Addressing the needs of supervisees with serious mental illness (SMI) can create unique challenges for PPOs, which in turn may increase job-related stress and impact PPOs' mental health. Using statewide survey data from 795 PPOs, we examine whether the number of supervisees with SMI on an officer's caseload is associated with depressive symptoms reported by PPOs and whether this relationship is mediated by work stress. In addition, we examine the mediating effects of role conflict and overload in the relationship between the number of persons with SMI on an officer's caseload and work stress. Findings reveal that PPOs supervising more people with SMI report significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and this relationship is mediated by work stress. Additionally, the association between the number of supervisees with SMI on an officer's caseload and work stress is completely explained away by role conflict and role overload. These findings highlight the mental health significance for parole and probation practitioners working with persons with SMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Western societies face the challenge of steadily ageing workforces. In recent decades, research on ageing has intensively focused on the subjective age concept to understand the challenges and risks of increasingly ageing workforces. Nevertheless, the subjective age construct is subject to several conceptual uncertainties, namely, regarding its stability and potential work-specific drivers of subjective age. We address these limitations by a) investigating the stability of subjective age in a worker sample, and b) identifying work-specific drivers (e.g., negative work events, positive work events, work stress) of subjective age perceptions. Building on social identity and lifespan theories, we test our conceptual assumptions with an online sample of 168 U.S. employees, applying growth curve modelling in a daily diary study over one workweek. Results indicate that subjective age is a mutable construct and varies between- and within-person in the course of a workweek. We identify positive work events and work stress as between-person drivers and negative work events as a within-person driver of subjective age. We discuss theoretical implications of these findings as well as consequences for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived work-related stress has increased notably in recent years, reducing individuals' well-being and increasing organizations' and economies' costs. This study focuses on worktime control as a key approach to reducing work stress, as the extant research on its effects reports inconsistent results. The study argues that comparisons play a major role in how work stress, conceptualized as effort-reward imbalance, occurs. Ordinary least squares is used to test hypotheses with a sample of 1721 employees from Germany to determine whether employees' prior worktime control and employees' referents' worktime control affect the relationship between worktime control and work stress. Results show that (1) worktime control is negatively associated with the experience of work stress, (2) employees' prior worktime control moderates the relationship between worktime control and work stress, and (3) there is no moderating effect of employees' referents' worktime control. The results are discussed in light of gift-exchange theory and related empirical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with low back pain (LBP) among 814 young workers ranging from 14 to 17 years of age engaged in the informal sector of traditional weaving in Central and Southern Ethiopia. Standard modified data collection tools such as Nordic, Quick Exposure Check, Thermal comfort assessment question and Health and Safety Executives Management Standard questions for work-related stress assessment were used. Data were entered in Epi-Info version 3.5 and exported to STATA version 12 for analysis and descriptive statistics; bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associated factors. The prevalence of LBP among young workers was 48.9%, and 14.0% of it responded to severe LBP. Working seat without backrest (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.6; 95% CI 1.5‒4.3), working 7 days in a week (AOR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.2‒5.0), workplace thermal level as warm (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1‒2.6), work at night (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1‒2.5) and awareness on workplace safety as a protective effect (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.2‒0.8) were statistically significant with LBP at p < 0.05. LBP was highly prevalent among young workers in the informal sector of traditional weaving. Thus, intervention should be focused on work condition improvement, strengthening labor inspection service and enforcement of legal standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores predictors of job satisfaction and stress among clinicians and administrative staff at the public health sector in the State of Qatar. This is a rapidly growing sector, aiming for excellence in service, education and research. The vast majority of the staff are expatriates with different cultural backgrounds, and varying qualifications. After obtaining ethical approvals to conduct the study, the target population were asked to complete an anonymous online survey, that included sociodemographic data followed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) generic Job Stress questionnaire. Total number included in the analysis is 1260, female, married with children. Role ambiguity, conflict, skill underutilization and workload were associated with job dissatisfaction. Role and job future ambiguity were significantly associated with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turnover is a significant problem in the school system, but little is known about turnover and turnover intention among school counsellors. Previous studies point to several aspects of school counsellors' roles which may relate to turnover intention, and given the important role school counsellors play for students, parents, and other teachers, it is important to understand what factors contribute to turnover intention in this population. In this study we examined workplace stress, employee self-esteem, organisational identification, and organisational commitment as possible predictors of turnover intention among 98 school counsellors in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Tenure as a school counsellor, work-stress effort, and in-group ties predicted turnover intention. Implications and future research priorities are discussed with a focus on school counselling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to validate the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ) in South Africa. Respondents were 393 employees within the financial services (n = 238) and health sector (n = 155). Results from the exploratory factor analysis indicated the WLQ to be a unidimensional measure. The goodness-of-fit statistics following confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated a well-fitting measurement model for the WLQ. The WLQ appears to yield reliable and valid scores for use in South African work settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Intrusions are a type of workplace interruption defined as unexpected interpersonal contact that disrupts workflow. Drawing from the Job Demands-Resources model of work stress, we examined how two personal resources - extraversion and emotional stability - influence relations among intrusions and strain outcomes.Design/methodology: Self-reported, online questionnaire data were collected from two samples; 323 faculty and staff from a university (sample 1) and 574 full-time employees recruited from an online crowdsourcing forum (sample 2).Results: In sample 1 extraversion was positively related to intrusions, whereas in sample 2, extraversion and emotional stability were negatively related to intrusions. There were no interactive effects of personality on relations among intrusions and strain outcomes in sample 1. In sample 2, low emotional stability strengthened relations among intrusions and work tension. Additionally, intrusions were negatively associated with stress for individuals high on emotional stability. Finally, introverts experienced less stress in response to intrusions.Conclusion: Taking a person-situation interactionist approach, we examined personal resources that may mitigate interruption-related strain. Our findings suggest that for employees high in emotional stability, interruptions may be both less detrimental and, in some cases, beneficial. This study has practical implications for the structuring of work environments to mitigate strain and maximize person-environment fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine how line managers experience and manage the return to work process of employees on sick leave due to work-related stress and to identify supportive and inhibiting factors. Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews with 15 line managers who have had employees on sick leave due to work-related stress. The grounded theory approach was employed. Results: Even though managers may accept the overall concept of work-related stress, they focus on personality and individual circumstances when an employee is sick-listed due to work-related stress. The lack of a common understanding of stress creates room for this focus. Line managers experience cross-pressure, discrepancies between strategic and human-relationship perspectives and a lack of organizational support in the return to work process. Conclusion: Organizations should aim to provide support for line managers. Research-based knowledge and guidelines on work-related stress and return to work process are essential, as is the involvement of coworkers. A commonly accepted definition of stress and a systematic risk assessment is also important. Cross-pressure on line managers should be minimized and room for adequate preventive actions should be provided as such an approach could support both the return to work process and the implementation of important interventions in the work environment. Implication for rehabilitation: Organizations should aim to provide support for line managers handling the return to work process. Cross-pressure on line managers should be minimized and adequate preventive actions should be provided in relation to the return to work process. Research-based knowledge and guidelines on work-related stress and return to work are essential. A common and formal definition of stress should be emphasized in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daily diary studies use the same set of measures repeatedly for several days. Within the work stress domain, these studies are able to isolate the effects of daily exposure to stressors within people from the general level of stressors between people. This meta-analysis investigated both content-related and methodological aspects of workplace stressor-strain relationships in diary studies. Results from 55 unique samples (a combined sample size of 5409) indicated that the magnitude of the stressor-strain relationship was stronger at the between-person level than the within-person level. Further, when the stressor was measured prior to the strain (within the same day), the relationship was somewhat stronger than when stressor and strain were measured concurrently. This suggests that stressor-strain effects might take some time to fully manifest. Differences were also detected among types of strains: affective strains had stronger relationship with stressors than behavioural strains. There were also differences in the stressor-strain relationship depending on both the type of strain and the timing of their respective measurement (concurrent versus predictive), suggesting that certain strain responses require more time to manifest. Overall, this meta-analysis elucidates important considerations in the design and interpretation of diary studies on occupational stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field study of 109 information systems (IS) managers explores the relationship among organizational characteristics, job satisfaction, and work stress. The results indicate that work overload is the major source of perceived IS work stress, followed by role conflict, job-induced anxiety, and then role ambiguity. Four organizational contextual factors—IS climate, clarity and sharing of organizational mission, quality of work life, and flexibility of organizational processes—were found to influence significantly work stress and job satisfaction as perceived by IS managers. As expected, job satisfaction was significantly related to Is work stress while IS technological sophistication was not related to IS stress or job satisfaction factors. Contrary to predictions, neither the clarity and awareness of organizational policies nor the quality of IS resources were found to have impact on any IS stressor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to examine the association between work stress and the recognition of need and intention to improve physical health, data from 12,474 respondents to the 2013 to 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey was analyzed. For the explanatory measure, respondents were categorized as having most days at work as not at all, not very, a bit, or highly stressful. For the outcome, respondents were categorized as having no known need (none), a recognized need but no intention (recognition), or a recognized need and an intention (intention) to improve their physical health. A positive, dose-response relationship was found between work stress and recognition of need and intention to improve physical health. In multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for gender, age, education, income, hours worked per week, and dependent children, employees with the highest level of work stress had an increased odds of being in the recognition (odds ratio [OR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.38, 3.20]) and intention (OR = 2.57, 95% CI [1.89, 3.50]) groups (reference group: none) compared to employees with the lowest level of work stress. A greater emphasis on programs or interventions to support the initiation and maintenance of planned improvements may benefit workers with high work stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychiatric nurses experience a wide range of stressful events, evolving from the care of violent, aggressive patients, recurrent relapse and poor prognosis of mental disorders. The aim of the study was to assess workplace stress, coping strategies and levels of depression among psychiatric nurses. A descriptive correlation design was conducted on psychiatric nurses working in mental health settings. Data were collected from 70 nurses at a mental health hospital. The results revealed that psychiatric nurses had moderate levels of work-related stress and depression, and exhibiting different coping strategies. Stress and depression are prevalent among psychiatric nurses; implementing programmes aimed at teaching them how to deal with stress at work and improving their coping strategies and problem-solving skills are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Given that the association between work stress and negative affect can exacerbate negative health and workplace outcomes, it is important to identify the protective and risk factors that moderate this association. Socioemotional aging and cognitive abilities might influence how people utilize emotion regulation skills and engage in practical problem solving to manage their work stress. The aim of this study is to examine whether age and cognitive abilities independently and interactively moderate the association between work-related stress and negative affect. Method: A diverse working adult sample (N = 139, age 25-65,69% of females) completed a cross-sectional survey that assessed chronic work stress, negative affect, and fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities. Results: Results from regression analyses suggested that both fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities, but not age, moderated the association between work stress and negative affect. Further, we found that crystallized cognition had a stronger attenuating effect on the work stress--negative affect association for older compared to younger workers. The moderating effect of fluid cognition was invariant across age. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that cognitive abilities are an important personal resource that might protect individuals against the negative impacts of work stress and negative affect. Although the role that fluid cognition plays in work stress--negative affect association is comparably important for both younger and older workers, crystallized cognition might play a more valuable role for older than younger workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses with obesity will lead to health problems as well as their high turnover rate and low retention rate. Objectives: This study explored the associations with female nurses' work stress, social support and overweight/obesity, and tried to find the predictors of the female nurses' overweight/ obesity. Methods: The study applied a cross-sectional and correlational design. Findings: The results of this study showed that "regular exercise frequency lower than or equal to 2 days a week", "rotating night shifts greater than or equal to 4 times a month", "nursing working hours higher than 44 hours a week", "high work stress", and "low social support" were the main predictors of "overweight/ obesity". Conclusions: Conducting workshops were recommended to nurse managers to motivate female nurses" exercise frequency, remind female nurses of keeping a healthy diet during night shifts, and provide female nurses with some relaxing skills to release their work stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends previous research on recovery from work stress by investigating the role of qualitative job demands and leadership in employees' work-related rumination (WRR). The long-term development of WRR was examined from a person-centred approach across 22 months. Drawing on the stressor-detachment framework and conservation of resources theory, we investigated whether different WRR profiles could be understood in terms of levels of and changes in quantitative, cognitive, and emotional job demands, several aspects of supervisory leadership, and exhaustion that was expected to result from the impeded energy restoration process. A three-wave questionnaire study was conducted among Finnish municipal employees in heterogeneous occupations. Factor mixture modelling was used to identify latent classes (i.e. subgroups of participants with similar mean levels and mean-level changes) of WRR. The results indicated five distinct classes of WRR. Participants in the higher WRR classes reported higher levels of job demands, less supervisor fairness, and more abusive supervision. In the decreasing class, WRR decreased concurrently with decreasing job demands. Exhaustion showed considerable congruence with WRR both between and within persons. The findings are discussed from the point of view of a loss cycle concerning energetic psychological resources and difficulties in goal attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-method study examines child welfare professionals’ adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and coping strategies they use to mitigate work stress. Survey data are from 104 child welfare services professionals in a Midwestern state. Participants reported high stress levels and frequent unhealthy coping strategies. Their ACE scores were higher than those of the general population. Quantitative analyses showed that the relativity of ACE to their career choice and unhealthy coping strategies also predicted their work stress. Qualitative analysis revealed challenges these workers face in self-care when dealing with work stress. Implications for child welfare staff, supervisors, and educators are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Designing parenting interventions and preventions requires knowledge on the factors and processes that shape parenting behaviors. Using data collected over 10 days, during the last hour of work and before going to bed, this study examined the spillover of interpersonal work stresses into positive and negative parenting behaviors. Data were collected among 103 couples who had at least one child between the age of one and eight years. Of particular interest was the role of received emotional spousal support as a moderator of stress spillover. Dyadic variants of multilevel models were used to analyze the data. The results showed that on days on which mothers or fathers reported stressful interpersonal interactions in the workplace, they also reported less positive parenting behaviors. In addition, mothers reported more negative parenting behaviors on days characterized by these kinds of work experiences. Mothers and fathers were found to report more positive parenting behaviors, and mothers less negative parenting behaviors, on the days on which they received more spousal support. Received spousal support also moderated spillover of work stress into parenting behaviors and this finding was found to be gender-specific: for mothers, support enhanced spillover into positive behaviors, and for fathers, it enhanced spillover into negative parenting behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged work stress, as indicated by the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model, jeopardizes health. Cortisol represents a candidate mechanism connecting stress to ill health. However, previous findings appear inconclusive, and recommendations were made to assess work stress at multiple time points and also to investigate ERI (sub-)components. This study therefore examines the effects of two single time points, as well as the mean and change scores between time points of ERI and its components on hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a long-term cortisol measurement. Participants were 66 male factory workers (age: 40.68 ± 6.74 years; HCC: 9.00 ± 7.11 pg/mg), who were followed up after a stress management intervention (2006–2008). In 2008 (T1) and 2015 (T2), participants completed a 23-item ERI questionnaire, assessing effort, the three reward components (esteem, job security, job promotion) and over-commitment. In 2015, participants also provided a 3-cm hair segment close to the scalp for HCC analysis, as well as information on relevant confounders (i.e. medication intake, age, work characteristics, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, number of stressful life events). Linear regressions revealed hardly any cross-sectional or longitudinal effect of ERI and its components on HCC. Only the change scores between T1 and T2 of job security were negatively associated with lower HCC in unadjusted (β = −.320;p = .009) and adjusted (β = −.288;p = .044) models. In this study, only a decrease of perceived job security over time was significantly associated with higher HCC, and other predictors were not related to this outcome. Especially after correction for multiple testing, this study revealed just a weak association of different psychosocial work measurements with HCC. Lay summary This study showed that an increase in perceived job insecurity is correlated with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The higher levels of cortisol might represent a biological explanation for the negative health effects of job insecurity. The association was, however, relatively low, and more and more voices are questioning whether cortisol in hair is a reliable marker for perceived work stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of work stress, consisting of role stressors and job insecurity, with safety compliance at work. A secondary objective was to test for the possible moderating effect of individual employees’ coping behaviour between experienced work stress and job insecurity, and their safety compliance. A cross-sectional survey design was used (n = 771). An electronic survey, with a biographical questionnaire and scales on role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, job insecurity, coping and safety compliance at work, was administered. The results indicated that specific aspects of work stress, notably role conflict, role ambiguity and quantitative job insecurity, and of coping, namely an avoidance style and changing the situation, were important in understanding safety compliance. A moderating effect of avoidance coping was also found. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research on job stress and satisfaction among police and correctional officers has dramatically improved our knowledge of the experiences of criminal justice system employees. There is, however, minimal research on the experiences of individuals whose work directly informs criminal justice practice, most notably forensic scientists who collect and analyze evidence in support of criminal investigations. This study is one of the first to address the gap in our knowledge using survey responses collected from a sample of 670 forensic scientists operating in local and state laboratories in 25 states across the US. Regression models demonstrate that scientists who report higher stress were females who worked more hours, who had a poor relationship with court actors, minimal managerial support, and role ambiguities that made it difficult to do their jobs. Those with greater job satisfaction were unmarried, highly educated individuals with positive attitudes toward their work, greater managerial support, and few problems concerning their roles in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives.The present study aimed at assessing bioelectric activity and cognitive functions in the workers on the conversion project of the “Shelter” object (SO) of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant into an environmentally safe system.Methods. A total of 196 men were included and examined before (t0) and after (t1) working on the SO in the period 2004–2008. They underwent a qEEG and a battery of neuropsychological and psychiatric assessments.Results. At t1, the organized type of qEEG shifted towards the disorganized one. An increase of spectral δ-power in the left frontotemporal area, of θ- and α-power in the left temporal area, with redistribution of α-activity to the front and reduction of dominant frequency in the left temporal area, were registered. Further, neurocognitive tests revealed the presence of mild cognitive disorders at t1. Interestingly, those subjects previously exposed to radiation with no consequences, were more resistant to these detrimental effects.Conclusions. Taken together, the disturbances observed may be considered as cognitive symptoms of a chronic fatigue syndrome resulting from the exposure to ionizing radiation. Simple and non-invasive assessments, such as those performed by us, may be helpful to detect early brain changes caused by the presence of radiological risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Employees juggling eldercare and work report work–family conflicts and poor health-related outcomes, but little is known about eldercare demands (ECDs) in the context of competing demands in the manufacturing workforce. This study determines how ECDs vary by age, gender, income, and job category, and how ECDs and competing demands are associated with health-related and work-related outcomes, among manufacturing workers. Employees from six manufacturing companies completed questionnaires. ECDs were defined as providing assistance to an adult aged 65 and older due to disability or chronic illness; those with ECDs were asked how many care-hours per week and whether assistance included personal care. Workers over age 45 were more likely than younger workers to report ECDs. After adjusting for competing demands and socio-demographic characteristics, ECDs were associated with greater depressive symptoms and family-to-work conflict (FWC), providing 5 or more hours of eldercare weekly was associated with greater depressive symptoms, and providing personal care was associated with greater FWC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that work–privacy conflict (WPC) is associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP), but the processes involved are unclear. This study simultaneously tested strain and sleep problems as mediators in three mediation paths (WPC →strain→MSP; WPC →sleep problems→MSP; and WPC →strain→sleep problems→MSP). Total mediation (including all three mediation paths) was expected to be stronger in older compared to younger participants, in participants doing shift work compared to those with regular work time, and in women compared to men. In a representative sample of the Swiss working population (N = 3438), WPC, strain, sleep problems, and MSP were assessed by self-report. A set of linear regressions and bootstrapping were used to test the indirect path coefficients. All three mediation paths were significant (ps < .001). The total indirect effect was stronger in women compared to men (p = .036) but mediation did not differ based on working schedules or age. However, tests of higher order moderated mediation showed that mediation was significantly higher in women aged 45 or older who did shift work than in all other combinations (p = .036). A process model postulating strain and sleep problems to mediate the association between WPC and MSP was empirically supported. Work redesign should reduce WPC in order to reduce strain, prevent sleeping problems, and reduce work-related MSP. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Justice is a core fundamental theme for individuals in organizations. This study suggests that believing the world is just where one gets what one deserves, and deserves what one gets, is an important personal resource that helps maintain well-being at work. Further, it suggests that personal belief in a just world, but not general belief in a just world, exerts its influence on well-being through increasing overall justice perceptions of the work environment. Using two waves of data drawn from a large random sample of working adults in Switzerland, results showed that personal belief in a just world at time 1 indeed augmented perceptions of overall organizational justice, and this in turn increased job satisfaction at time 2, that is, 1 year later. As expected, this effect was only evident for personal and not general belief in a just world, highlighting personal belief in a just world as an important yet largely overlooked resource for the work context, and suggesting the need to consider individual’s beliefs about justice as drivers of overall organizational justice perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

According to the World Health Organization stress in the workplace is becoming a major challenge of employers worldwide. While perceived stress levels can be assessed by questionnaires there is growing evidence that stress-related wear and tear of our body can be measured by the Allostatic Load Index (ALI). In a sample of 12,477 German industrial employees (19.6% female, 18–65 years) self-rated stress was explored by the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. A voluntary health check included biomarkers such as diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, glycosylated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein, and heart rate variability. Based on predefined subclinical cutoff values, a 5-variable ALI was calculated. Differences in ALI according to low (ERI ≤1.0) and high (ERI >1.0) stress levels were tested. The association of ERI and ALI was explored using logistic regression analysis controlling for multiple confounders. Employees perceiving high stress levels showed significant higher ALI scores (p < .001) compared to lower stressed employees. This association was stronger in men and independent of age. ALI was associated with work stress in adjusted models (OR 1.18 ± .08 [95% CI 1.03, 1.36];p < .05). This study replicates former results in a large sample of industrial employees indicating that work stress is associated with a short form ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study developed and tested a moderated-mediation model of work stress and alcohol use, based on the biphasic (stimulant and sedative) effects of alcohol and the self-medication and stress-vulnerability models of alcohol use. The model proposes that exposure to work stressors can increase both negative affect and work fatigue, and that these 2 sources of strain can subsequently motivate the use of alcohol. However, the relations of negative affect and work fatigue to alcohol use are conditional on the joint moderating effects of alcohol outcome expectancies and gender. Data were collected from a national probability sample of 2808 U.S. workers. Supporting the model, the results indicated that work stressor exposure was conditionally related via negative affect to heavy alcohol use among both men and women holding strong tension-reduction alcohol expectancies and to after work alcohol use among men holding strong tension-reduction alcohol expectancies. Also, work stressor exposure was conditionally related via work fatigue to both heavy alcohol use and workday alcohol use among men holding strong fatigue-reduction alcohol expectancies. The results have application in the identification of individuals at higher risk of problematic alcohol use and are relevant to workplace safety and to the design of appropriate interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the attraction–selection–attrition (ASA) framework, this paper examines a mechanism, namely person–organization (P–O) fit, through which high-performance HR practices (HPHRPs) affect two negative employee outcomes: work-related stress and quit intentions. Using a sample of Egyptian public health sector workers, a mediation model is tested empirically using structural equation modelling. The study results show that HPHRPs positively affected P–O fit, which in turn had significant negative associations with work stress and quit intentions. P–O fit also explained a high proportion of mediation in the relationship between HPHRP and both outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]