Stress and Health via MedWorm.com

Perceived Reciprocity and Well‐Being at Work in Non‐Professional Employees: Fairness or Self‐Interest?

Stress and Health — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:34:15 +0100

This article assesses the links between non‐professional employees' perceptions of reciprocity in their relationships with their supervisors and the positive and negative sides of employees' well‐being at work: burnout and engagement. Two hypotheses were explored. First, the fairness hypothesis assumes a curvilinear relationship where balanced reciprocity (when the person perceives that there is equilibrium between his/her efforts and the benefits he/she receives) presents the highest level of well‐being. Second, the self‐interest hypothesis proposes a linear pattern where over‐benefitted situations for employees (when the person perceives that he/she is receiving more than he/she deserves) increase well‐being. One study with two independent samples was conducted. The participa...

Maladaptive Emotion Regulation is Related to Distressed Personalities in Cardiac Patients

Stress and Health — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

ConclusionPatients with deficits in emotion regulation are more likely to have Type D personality. Deficits in emotion regulation might be an agent for future intervention studies to change Type D and its prognostic effect. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

International handbook of work and health psychology (3rd edn.), Cary L. Cooper, James Campbell Quick and Marc J. Schabracq (Eds.), 2009, Published by Wiley‐Blackwell, Sussex, UK, eISBN: 9780470998069

Stress and Health — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:07:17 +0100

(Source: Stress and Health)

Parental Stress and Satisfaction during Children's Hospitalization: Differences between Immigrant and Autochthonous Population

Stress and Health — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:06:30 +0100

This study explored the relation between parents' stress and satisfaction during children's hospitalization, seeking possible differences between immigrant and autochthonous population and also as a function of gender in a sample of parents of hospitalized children in Andalusia, Spain.A total of 1347 parents participated in this study. Of the sample, 50% were immigrants and the other 50% were autochthonous. The assessment instruments were the Hospitalization Stress Scale and the Satisfaction with Hospitalization Scale.The results show that stress was associated with the manifestations of the child's illness, the alteration of family life or of parental roles during the process and some aspects of the clinical staff's work. General satisfaction in immigrant parents was higher than in the au...

A Practical Quantification of Blood Glucose Production due to High‐level Chronic Stress

Stress and Health — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractBlood glucose (BG) is the primary metabolic fuel for, among others, cancer cell progression, cardiovascular disease and inflammation. Stress is an important contributor to the amount of BG produced especially by the liver. In this paper, we attempt to quantify the BG production due to chronic (in the order of weeks) high‐level psychological stress in a manner that a lay person will understand. Three independent approaches were used. The first approach was based on a literature survey of stress hormone data from healthy individuals and its subsequent mathematical manipulation. The next approach was a deductive process where BG levels could be deduced from published stress data of large cardiovascular clinical trials. The third approach used empirical BG data and a BG simulation mo...

The Relationship between Childhood Parental Loss and Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Subjects

Stress and Health — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

The Korean Version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale: An Extended Validation

Stress and Health — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC) is a brief self‐rating questionnaire for measuring resilience. The aims of the present study were to describe the development of a Korean version of the CD‐RISC (K‐CD‐RISC) and to more firmly establish its psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. The participants consisted of a general population sample (n = 194) and psychiatric outpatients (n = 127) with non‐psychotic mood or anxiety disorders. The K‐CD‐RISC score means (standard deviation) were 65.9 (13.6) in the general population and 50.4 (20.5) in the psychiatric outpatients. The mean score of the general population was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric outpatients. Exploratory factor analysis revealed five factors, an...

Effects of Short Vacations, Vacation Activities and Experiences on Employee Health and Well‐Being

Stress and Health — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Chinese High School Students' Academic Stress and Depressive Symptoms: Gender and School Climate as Moderators

Stress and Health — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractIn a sample of 368 Chinese high school students, the present study examined the different effects of Chinese high school students' academic stress on their depressive symptoms and the moderating effects of gender and students' perceptions of school climate on the relationships between their academic stress and depressive symptoms. Regression mixture model identified two different kinds of subgroups in the effects of students' academic stress on their depressive symptoms. One subgroup contained 90% of the students. In this subgroup, the students' perceptions of academic stress from lack of achievement positively predicted their depressive symptoms. For the other 10% of the students, academic stress did not significantly predict their depressive symptoms. Next, multinomial regression...

Job Insecurity as a Predictor of Physiological Indicators of Health in Healthy Working Women: An Extension of Previous Research

Stress and Health — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractJob insecurity has been linked to different negative outcomes, such as negative work attitudes and health problems, with most studies including self‐reported outcomes. Extending earlier research, the present study includes both self‐reported and physiological indicators of health and sets out to investigate whether higher levels of job insecurity are related to higher levels of allostatic load, higher levels of morning cortisol, more physician‐diagnosed symptoms of ill‐health and poorer self‐rated health. The study also investigated whether self‐rated health mediated the relation between job insecurity and physiological outcomes. This was cross‐sectionally studied in a cohort of Swedish women who participated in a large‐scale longitudinal study focusing on life span...

The Imperative of Well‐being

Stress and Health — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:09:18 +0100

(Source: Stress and Health)

Work Hours and Work–Family Conflict: The Double‐edged Sword of Involvement in Work and Family

Stress and Health — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This study serves as a foundation for researchers to examine the interplay of time spent with work and family with other aspects of the work–family interface. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Sick at Work: Presenteeism among Nurses in a Portuguese Public Hospital

Stress and Health — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:00:00 +0100

This article focuses on this innovative organizational concept. Data from nurses at a major Portuguese public hospital (N = 296) reported some major causes of presenteeism, namely lower‐back pain, breath infections, migraines and stress. Although females revealed higher prevalence levels for most of the presenteeism causes, no gender differences were found regarding the number of hours people were affected by presenteeism. Moreover, other work variables were correlated—age, perceived health state, number of working hours, income and seniority—with a presenteeism scale (SPS‐6) and a Health Condition Index. Most importantly, a negative correlation was found between perceived health status and presenteeism. Additionally, more experienced and highly paid nurses tended to be less af...

Counterproductive Work Behaviours in Response to Emotional Exhaustion: A Moderated Mediational Approach

Stress and Health — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractDrawing from the conservation of resources framework and self‐control principles, we proposed a moderated mediational model through which emotional exhaustion may be linked to counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs). Analyses conducted with 175 Midwestern government workers revealed that both depersonalization (i.e. detachment from one's work, customers or co‐workers) and organizational disidentification (i.e. cognitive opposition to an organization) were viable predictors of deviancy. Further, depersonalization and disidentification mediated the relationship between emotional exhaustion and CWBs, although disidentification drove these findings. Lastly, trait self‐control moderated most variations of this relationship, in that this mediational model only applied to individua...

Traumatic Grief and Traumatic Stress in Survivors 12 Years after the Genocide in Rwanda

Stress and Health — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe relationship between exposure to traumatic events and traumatic grief and the role of mediating and moderating variables [peritraumatic distress, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and symptoms of depression] were studied in survivors of the genocide of Batutsi in Rwanda in 1994. One hundred and two survivors (70 women, mean age 45 ± 7.53 years) participated in this retrospective study. All of them had lost a member of their family. The severity of traumatic exposure (Comprehensive Trauma Inventory), peritraumatic distress (Peritraumatic Distress Inventory), current PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory) and traumatic grief symptoms (Inventory of Traumatic Grief) was evaluated. A hierarchical multiple regression analys...

‘I Was Just Screeching!’: Comparing Child and Parent Derived Measures of Distress

Stress and Health — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractTwo studies explored relationships between children's (2–13 years old) descriptions of how much they had cried and two other ways of assessing children's distress during injuries and subsequent hospital treatment, one parent‐generated and the other child‐generated. In the first study, 201 2‐ to 13‐year‐old children's descriptions of crying were compared with parental ratings of child distress, and in the second, these two measures plus a Faces Pain Scale were compared for 71 2‐ to 6‐year‐olds. Children's self‐descriptions of crying were highly similar to parental ratings at all ages, but the Faces Pain Scale had less similarity to other measures, especially for younger preschoolers. Findings suggest that children's self‐descriptions of emotional reactions ma...

Adolescent Health, Stress and Life Satisfaction: The Paradox of Indulgent Parenting

Stress and Health — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractA survey of adolescents aged 15 to 16 years was used to examine the relationship between their perceptions of indulgent parenting and adolescent weight status to overall satisfaction with life, as associated with adolescent perceptions of body image, health and stress. In addition, perceptions of parental indulgence were examined in terms of their association with adolescent eating behaviours and health. The results revealed a paradox related to indulgent parenting, with both positive and negative outcomes for adolescents. Structural equation analyses showed that parental indulgence was not only related to lower stress and higher life satisfaction, but also to unhealthy eating behaviours. Path analysis indicated that both positive and negative eating outcomes for adolescents were...

Fathers of Children with Disabilities: Stress and Life Satisfaction

Stress and Health — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractAs the role of fathers within families continues to evolve, understanding how these changes impact life satisfaction is needed. This is especially relevant for fathers who have children with disabilities; therefore, this study sought to understand the group differences between fathers of children with and without disabilities. A survey design was used that involved 85 fathers of children with disabilities and 121 fathers of children without disabilities. Analyses indicated that fathers of children with disabilities experienced greater stress in daily parenting hassles, family life events and changes, parenting stress and health stress. In comparison, fathers with children who did not have disabilities had a higher level of coping and greater satisfaction with life. A path‐analysi...

Insomnia in a Displaced Population is Related to War‐Associated Remembered Stress

Stress and Health — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractAlthough traumatic events are presumed to cause sleep disturbances, particularly insomnia, sleep in populations subjected to forced displacement has received little attention. The present study examined the prevalence of insomnia and associated factors in internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Abkhazia 15 years after displacement to Tbilisi. Detailed subjective information about sleep–wake habits, sleep‐related and stress‐related parameters were obtained from 87 IDPs categorized into good sleepers and insomniacs. The Insomnia Severity Index, Perceived Stress Scale and Beck Depression Inventory were administered. The incidence of insomnia was 41.4%. The majority of insomniacs strongly believed that war‐related stress accounted for the onset of their insomnia. Stepwise re...

Work Locus of Control and its Relationship to Stress Perception, Related Affections, Attitudes and Behaviours from a Domain‐specific Perspective

Stress and Health — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:00:00 +0100

AbstractThis research aims to examine the value of applying the Work Locus of Control Scale in predicting work‐related outcomes. Study 1 surveyed 323 employees from different companies in China and found that the domain‐specific scale was more predictive than the general scale in predicting perceived stressors, rather than in predicting organizational affective commitment and altruistic behaviour. Study 2 applied a multi‐wave and multi‐source design and used commensurate Likert scales to measure work and general locus of control. Participants were 344 employees from one corporation. Work locus of control was found to be more useful in predicting supervisor‐rated job performance, conscientious and altruistic behaviours. These findings help understand the theory‐based and measure...

Check‐up Time: A Closer Look at Physical Symptoms in Occupational Health Research

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractIn order to advance research on stress‐related symptoms in occupational health psychology, our study examined three ways to measure physical symptoms—by asking about symptom frequency, interference with daily activities and whether a doctor was seen for each symptom. We used exploratory factor analysis and item response theory to gain greater insight into these measures and compared how symptoms measured along these dimensions predicted other stress‐related outcomes in the workplace. Among the main findings of our study are the following: (1) symptoms may be categorized as those that occur as a response to acute events and those that reflect more chronic stress; (2) individuals appear to have a relatively low threshold for reporting that acute symptoms (e.g. heart pounding) i...

The Factor Structure of the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire in a Literate Kenyan Population

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe study evaluated the factorial structure of the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12) in a population of Kenyan adults and adolescents. A sample of 1216 people aged 12–60 years completed the English version of the GHQ‐12. To evaluate the factor structure of the GHQ‐12, a confirmatory analysis using MPLUS was carried out. A unidimensional model of GHQ‐12 as originally conceptualized did not provide a good fit for the data (Comparative Fit Index = 0.843, Tuckler Lewis Index = 0.841, Root Mean Square of Error Approximation = 0.078, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.063). Unidimensional models, which partial out the effects of negative wording showed an adequate fit to the data. Additionally, multidimensional models showed an excellent ...

Women using a web‐based digital health coaching programme for stress management: stress sources, symptoms and soping strategies

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We examined cross‐sectional data from 63,690 women between the ages of 18 and 59 years who participated in the stress management programme from 2001 to 2008. We divided the sample into age groups to identify developmental patterns in their stress characteristics.Work, time demands and psychological reactions to stress were consistent concerns, whereas between‐group comparisons indicated diverse stress characteristics by age group. Importantly, women at all ages reported being uncomfortable asking for help. The findings suggest that technology‐based solutions like digital health coaching may reach women who may not otherwise seek or receive help for stress management. The results also emphasize the importance of considering the unique characteristics of women when providing them str...

Contemporary occupational health psychology, Jonathan Houdmont and Stavroula Leka, 2010, Published by Wiley‐Blackwell, Chichester, UK, ISBN: 978‐0‐470‐68265‐4

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Stress and Health)

The theory of preventive stress management: a 33‐year review and evaluation

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe theory of preventive stress management (TPSM) has contributed to theoretical understanding, empirical exploration and organizational practices since its introduction in 1979. This paper describes the theoretical concepts contained in the theory, reviews the empirical findings based on the theory and outlines the organizational practices associated with the application of the theory. Special attention is given to the contribution of the three principal authors associated with the theory as well as the work of their key collaborators. The impact of the theory is evaluated and discussed. Opportunities for future research based on the TPSM are offered. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Conceptual review article

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Stress and Health)

The impact of stress on the individual, the dyad and the team

Stress and Health — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

(Source: Stress and Health)

Self‐perceived Work‐related Stress and its Relation to Salivary IgA, Cortisol and 3‐Methoxy‐4‐hydroxyphenyl Glycol Levels among Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses

Stress and Health — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study investigated self‐perceived work‐related stress, along with salivary IgA (s‐IgA), cortisol and 3‐methoxy‐4‐hydroxyphenyl glycol (MHPG) in 38 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses and 26 general ward (GW) nurses. To adjust for sociodemographic characteristics, the two groups of nurses were strictly matched for age, gender (feminine), average work experience and marital status (unmarried). General fatigue and anxiety were significantly higher, and depressive mood tended to be higher, in NICU nurses compared to GW nurses, based on Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index scores (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, p = 0.079, respectively). s‐IgA concentrations were also inversely correlated with self‐perceived work‐related stress and were significantly lower in NI...

General Job Stress: A Unidimensional Measure and Its Non‐linear Relations with Outcome Variables

Stress and Health — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This article aims to examine the non‐linear relations between a general measure of job stress [Stress in General (SIG)] and two outcome variables: intentions to quit and job satisfaction. In so doing, we also re‐examine the factor structure of the SIG and determine that, as a two‐factor scale, it obscures non‐linear relations with outcomes. Thus, in this research, we not only test for non‐linear relations between stress and outcome variables but also present an updated version of the SIG scale. Using two distinct samples of working adults (sample 1, N = 589; sample 2, N = 4322), results indicate that a more parsimonious eight‐item SIG has better model‐data fit than the 15‐item two‐factor SIG and that the eight‐item SIG has non‐linear relations with job satisfa...

Mediated Effects of Physical Risk Factors, Leader–Member Exchange and Empowerment in Predicting Perceived Injury Risk

Stress and Health — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractIn the context of conservation of resources theory, we examine the indirect (mediated) effects of physical risk factors, leader–member exchange (LMX) and empowerment on perceived injury risk in a heterogeneous sample (N = 226) of individuals employed in occupations related to production, construction and installation/maintenance. Positioning work role stressors and upward safety communications as two important mediating variables, as predicted, LMX and empowerment demonstrated significant indirect effects on perceived injury risk. Results from our model also provide preliminary evidence that an asymmetrical dualistic process exists in terms of the effect physical risk factors have on perceived injury risk via depletion of both psychological (i.e. role stressors) and physical ...

Neuroendocrine Changes and Natriuresis in Response to Social Stress in Rats

Stress and Health — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100

In conclusion, social stress had a strong antinatriuretic effect, which is coincident with noradrenergic and corticoadrenal activation and an increase in plasma aldosterone levels. Activation of these factors may promote sodium retention, which has long been recognized to play a significant role in the development and maintenance of hypertension. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

The Influence of Neuroticism, Extraversion and Openness on Stress Responses

Stress and Health — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We examined the unique influence of personality on stress responses and the mediating role of appraisals. Personality was assessed, and then participants (N = 152) were exposed to a validated math stressor. We found unique effects on stress responses for neuroticism (high threat and negative affect and low positive affect), extraversion (high positive and low negative affect) and openness (high positive and low negative effect and better performance). Mediation analyses revealed that neuroticism indirectly worsened performance, through threat appraisals, and that openness indirectly increased positive affect through lower threat. These findings highlight the importance of investigating multiple aspects of personality on stress responses and provide an avenue through which stress respon...

The Stress (of an) Epidemic

Stress and Health — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We examined the consequences of being exposed to an outbreak of the Norwalk virus at a small university. Data from 422 undergraduates supported a model in which the experience of symptoms and perceptions of the university's response to the outbreak predicted fear of future contamination. In turn, fear predicted strain and enhanced hygiene practices. Results are consistent with a model of disease outbreak as a traumatic stressor, and implications for organizations dealing with disease outbreaks are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Source: Stress and Health)

Evaluation of Effects of Lavender and Peppermint Aromatherapy Using Sensitive Salivary Endocrinological Stress Markers

Stress and Health — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractBy measuring the sensitive salivary endocrinological stress markers cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA), we investigated effects on stress of lavender and peppermint aromas. Groups of volunteers were each exposed to an airborne organic essential oil: either lavender or peppermint or, for control, odourless jojoba. Saliva samples were collected immediately before and after the 10‐min exposure and 5 and 10 min later. Salivary cortisol and CgA levels were evaluated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. After exposure, in the peppermint aroma group, salivary cortisol statistically significantly decreased and salivary CgA statistically significantly increased. No similar changes were found in either the lavender aroma or the control group. These findings suggest that peppermint arom...

Test Anxiety and Cardiovascular Responses to Daily Academic Stressors

Stress and Health — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study drew on self‐reported stress and ambulatory blood pressure measurements provided by 99 undergraduate participants (30% men, mean age = 21 years) who participated over 4 days. Posture, activity level, recent consumption and the previous same‐day reading were considered as covariates in a series of hierarchical linear models. Results indicate elevations in systolic blood pressure at times of acute academic stressors; neither diastolic blood pressure nor heart rate was linked with academic stress. In addition, those participants higher in test anxiety exhibited especially pronounced elevations in systolic blood pressure during times of acute academic stress. This research suggests that everyday academic stressors are linked with temporary increases in blood pressure and...

Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety and Depression among the Elderly: A Survey of the Hard‐hit Areas a Year after the Wenchuan Earthquake

Stress and Health — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractFew studies to date have examined psychological sequelae of natural disasters among the elderly in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rates of probable post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression in the elderly survivors a year after the Wenchuan earthquake as well as to analyse related risk factors. The community‐based sample of the study consisted of 284 elderly survivors (≥60 years). PTSD was assessed by the PTSD Checklist—Civilian version, and anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist. In total, the estimated prevalence rates of probable PTSD, anxiety and depression were 26.3%, 42.9% and 35.2%, respectively. Nearly a fifth of the elderly participants reported symptoms that meet the criteria for...

The Effects of Conscientiousness on the Appraisals of Daily Stressors

Stress and Health — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study investigated whether C predicted the cognitive appraisals of daily stressors/hassles. Participants (N = 102) completed measures of C and cognitive appraisal in relation to the most stressful hassle they had experienced in the last 7 days. Correlational analysis revealed that Total C, Order and Industriousness were positively correlated with primary appraisals, and Responsibility was positively correlated with secondary appraisals. The facets of C were then entered into hierarchical regression models, controlling for age and gender. This demonstrated that Order (β = 0.27, p < 0.05) and Industriousness (β = 0.28, p < 0.05) significantly predicted primary appraisals, accounting for 15.8% of the variance. Responsibility significantly predicted secondary...

The Effects of Single and Repeated Psychiatric Occupational Therapy on Psychiatric Symptoms: Assessment Using a Visual Analogue Scale

Stress and Health — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe main aims of psychiatric occupational therapy are to improve daily activity, to enhance communication with others and to reinforce social adaptation. Also, substantial improvements in psychiatric symptoms have been reported, but the effects on psychiatric symptoms are yet to be established. In the present study, we investigated the effects of single and repeated administrations of psychiatric occupational therapy on psychiatric symptoms and determined whether the effects can be predicted. Our subjects were 215 inpatients or outpatients at our university hospital who participated in psychiatric occupational therapy. Five psychiatric symptoms (i.e. depressive mood, tension, irritability, anxiety and fatigue) were subjectively measured just before and just after each psychiatric o...

Job Stress and Coping: Self‐Employed versus Organizationally Employed Professionals