Relief of work stress after weekend and holiday season in high school teachers.

Abstract

There is a widespread belief that teaching is a highly stressful occupation. Early retirement for reasons of disability (burnout and mental health problems) among Finnish educators has doubled in the 1990s compared to all other occupations. The persistent sympathetic drive and reduced vagal tone attenuate the recovering capacity after stress. They may contribute in the development of diseases such as the metabolic syndrome and cardiac diseases. Recent studies report an association of heart rate variability with general health. The autonomic nervous system and hormonal responses maintain together the equilibrium of organ functions. Both psychological 6) and physiological 8) stress can affect cardiovascular functioning i.e. heart beat intervals (RRI) and their variability. The fluctuations in circulatory parameters reflect the rapid and long term adaptation to stressors. These oscillations can be presented in power bands by methods of signal processing and spectral analysis. Total power is the index of the overall capacity of the system. The high frequency band (HF, 0.15–0.40 Hz) is mainly the index of the vagal (parasympathetic) and low frequency band (LF, 0.04–0.15 Hz), at least partly an index of the sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the profile of autonomic control of the circulatory system in high school teachers during a workday, weekend and holiday season.