Psychosocial Risk Assessment Research Articles

Study of Psychosocial Risk Factors and Assessment of Dependency of Smokeless Tobacco among Adolescents in Ahmedabad

Context Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, including in India. A significant proportion of adolescents in India reside in low-resource settings and engage in the consumption of various forms of tobacco products, rendering them a highly vulnerable population. Aims Determine the psychosocial risk factors among school going adolescents and to identify adolescents at increased risk of smokeless tobacco use in upcoming years. To assess the dependency among adolescents for smokeless tobacco consumption. Settings and Design A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of class 9th and 10th standard, Ahmedabad. Methods and Material A total of 575 students were studied using Global Youth Tobacco Survey, Schwarzers General Self Efficacy Scale, Pareeks Preadolescent Adjustment Scale, Modified Fagerstrom- Smokeless Tobacco. Statistical analysis used Ms Excel 2007. Results A total of 575 students participated in the study, out of which 62.6% were boys and 37.3% were girls with mean age 14.8 ± 0.9 years. 58 (10.09%) of the students were smokeless tobacco users. The score on Schwarzer's General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) among SLT non-users is significantly higher more than 30 than in SLT users (Z= 5.23, p<0.001). According to PAAS Score, the SLT users were maladjusted towards Home, School, Teacher, Peers and also in the General domain. Out of 58 SLT users 3.4% were substantially dependent on smokeless tobacco. Conclusions Early and mid-adolescence are more vulnerable to initiation of tobacco use and hence a targeted intervention is necessary to reduce the tobacco uptake in this age group.

Psychosocial working conditions and violence prevention climate in German emergency departments – a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEmergency departments (EDs) are high pressure work environments with several psychosocial job demands, e.g., violence, and job resources, e.g., colleague support. So far, the perceptions of working conditions have been compared between doctors and nurses, but there is limited knowledge regarding their respective supervisors. In addition, the violence prevention climate has not been assessed in German EDs before. Thus, the current study focuses on differences in the perceptions of working conditions and the violence prevention climate between the groups of doctor-supervisors, doctor-employees, nurse-supervisors, and nurse-employees within the ED. Further analyses regarding the association between social relations and pressure for unsafe practices are performed, including the moderating role of belonging to one of the aforementioned groups.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was carried out among N = 370 participants, who were doctors or nurses from German EDs. The Questionnaire for Psychosocial Risk Assessment (QPRA) and the Violence Prevention Climate Scale (VPCS) were applied. Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed for group comparisons, followed by a hierarchical multiple linear regression model and moderation analyses.ResultsStatistically significant differences between the groups were found for eight out of 13 variables. The highest number of significant pairwise comparisons was found between the groups of doctor-supervisors and nurse-employees. High job demands regarding work intensity and work interruptions became apparent across all groups. Nurse-employees reported the highest social and emotional demands as well as the highest pressure for unsafe practices regarding violence prevention, significantly differing from the other groups on these variables. The variables of supervisor support and social stressors were found to be significantly predictive of pressure for unsafe practices. Furthermore, there was no moderating effect of belonging to one of the above-mentioned groups in the relationships between variables of social relations and pressure for unsafe practices.ConclusionsDifferences found in the current study can help tailor preventive measures according to the needs of distinct professions and positions in order to improve working conditions and the violence prevention climate in EDs. Furthermore, supervisor support should be strengthened while social stressors should be resolved in order to decrease pressure for unsafe practices regarding violence prevention.

Challenges of modern work environments and means of overcoming them in the context of psychosocial risk assessments

BackgroundModern work environments constitute an underrepresented part of psychosocial risk assessments at work. Little is known about whether there is an increased stress load at all and what possible improvements could be made in such a case.MethodsModern work environments were assessed in an online questionnaire in 33 companies across a period of more than 4 years. A total of 3431 employees participated in the study. Both quantitative and qualitative data was applied to obtain a differentiated picture.ResultsIncreased stress caused by modern work environments was an issue for around a third of the sample. 31.6% of the participants at least sometimes struggled to balance work and private life. Quite a few of the participants (36.3%) worked sometimes or more outside regular working hours. For 32.4% of participants, the workload has increased due to new technologies, but for 30.4% it has not. The majority (81.4%) feel they can work productively in home offices. The data from 178 completed free text fields on improving modern work environments from the employees’ perspective was analysed. Many named suggestions relate to improvements in time management.ConclusionThis study provides both detailed insights into various aspects of modern work environments and offers solutions to counteract possible negative consequences. Assessing modern work environments in psychosocial risk assessments would be a valuable addition to its completeness.

Ensuring equity in psychosocial risk assessment for solid organ transplantation: a review.

This review summarizes the different instruments for evaluating the psychosocial health of transplant candidates, the evidence demonstrating how these instruments relate to probability of transplant waitlisting and transplant outcomes, and the critical knowledge gaps that exist in the causal pathway between psychosocial health and clinical transplant trajectory. The current literature reveals that psychosocial assessments are a common reason for racial and ethnic minorities to be denied access to the transplant list. Given evidence that a lack of clinician consensus exists regarding the definition of, importance of, and reproducibility of psychosocial support evaluations, this facet of the holistic evaluation process may create a unique challenge for already vulnerable patient populations. Though recent evidence shows that psychosocial evaluation scores predict select transplant outcomes, these findings remain inconsistent. Multiple instruments for psychosocial transplant evaluation exist, though the utility of these instruments remains uncertain. As equity becomes an increasingly urgent priority for the transplant system, rigorous interrogation of the causal pathway between psychosocial health and transplant longevity is still needed.

Identity Crisis Among Clinical Officers at Malawi’s Public Hospitals Amidst the Implementation of Functional Reviews

In Malawi’s healthcare system, a significant doctor shortage compels clinical officers who are mid-level health professionals, to shoulder responsibilities traditionally reserved for medical doctors. This study delves into the unintended consequences of functional reviews within Malawi’s health sector. The research, employing a qualitative case-study approach across five public hospitals, investigated how the functional reviews triggered an identity crisis among clinical officers. The findings revealed that the implemented changes caused an identity crisis among clinical officers. This identity crisis, demonstrably exacerbated occupational stress among clinical officers. To address this unforeseen consequence and safeguard the well-being of clinical officers in particular and healthcare workers in general, this paper proposes the incorporation of psychosocial risk assessments before implementing functional reviews in the health sector. This proactive approach can help identify potential threats to social identity and mitigate the risk of increased stress among healthcare workers. Ultimately, this research contributes to the growing body of knowledge that underscores the intricate link between social identity and the impact of large-scale workplace changes within the healthcare system.

Evaluation of a public health workplace staff psychosocial risk assessment and wellbeing initiative

Abstract Adverse psychosocial work environments can have a detrimental effect on staff wellbeing causing chronic stress leading to burnout. Despite legislation mandating regular risk assessments, only one third of workplaces assess psychosocial risks. A 2020 European report identified one of the main barriers being a reluctance to talk openly about psychosocial issues. This paper describes an evaluation of a staff psychosocial risk assessment and wellbeing initiative in a Public Health Department in Ireland. The initiative commenced in October 2022 during a period of major health service organisational change. Informed by positive organisational psychology conceptual frameworks, guided by the European Psychosocial risk assessment framework (PRIMA-EF) and utilising the HSE Work Positive (CI) survey tool it was possible to constructively identify and categorise psychosocial risks across the Public Health team. In the evaluation, a mixed methods approach was used based on Donabedian’s structures, processes and outcomes overarching framework and Nielsen’s Model of Process Evaluation Framework. The first three iterative quality improvement cycles of the intervention were reviewed. The evaluation demonstrated that all of Nielson’s three indicators for a successful organisational level staff wellbeing intervention had been met: there was evidence of improvement in both working conditions and staff wellbeing; iterative quality improvement cycles including appreciative inquiry staff collaborative engagement ensured staff views and key learning was captured; new organisational structures within the Department enabled the sustainability of this process. The evaluation indicates that the staff psychosocial risk assessment process is beneficial for staff wellbeing and that the methods used are appropriate. The resources used in this process continue to be readily available within the health service organisation. The evaluation supports continuation of this process in its present form. Key messages • This evaluation supports staff psychosocial risk assessment and mitigation processes and provides a framework for healthcare managers to implement such processes and comply with legislation. • This evaluation indicates that effective and sustainable collaborative staff engagement can be achieved using a positive focus which builds on team strengths and harnesses collective wisdom.

Impact of social desirability bias on the CoPsoQ-ISTAS 21 psychosocial risk assessment questionnaire.

Self-reported test is one of the main psychosocial risk assessment tools. However, this test it is susceptible to certain sources of error, including social desirability. Since psychosocial risks are emerging, there are not many studies on their assessment. The aim of this work is to analyze the impact of social desirability on the short version of the CopSoq-ISTAS 21 assessment tool. A total of 563 workers (45.10% women and 54.90% men) participated in this study. The short version of the CoPsoQ-Istas21 questionnaire with four Likert scale questions as markers, which correspond to the Eysenck Personality Lie Scale Questionnaire Revised (EPQ-r), were used. The sample was divided into two halves, and both a confirmatory analysis and an exploratory analysis were carried out to find out the factorial structure of the scale and, with it, apply the bias filtering method. The results indicate that 10% of the scale is biased due to social desirability, and that there are significant differences between the group with bias clean scores and the group with scores without bias control. The effects of social desirability on the scale are verified, so it is concluded that in a psychosocial risk assessment is not enough to apply a self-report test and interpret its results, being necessary to minimize the sources of error.

Effects of Psychosocial Risks on the Performance of Teacher-Researchers: Moroccan Context

In recent years, the concept of psychosocial risks has assumed enormous importance in working life. Indeed, PSR at work has become almost synonymous with work life and more specifically work stress, and it is widely accepted that work experiences can have a major impact on the psychological health of employees. Psychological risks are the human pressures that arise as a result of implementing an organization's strategy, and take different forms such as anxiety, pressure, violence, mental load and poor communication, musculoskeletal disorders and other pressures that are transmitted differently among employees depending on their position in the organization. Thus, mental health is an integral part of health and a state of happiness. In this state, a person can achieve self-actualization, overcome the normal pressures of life, engage in productive work and contribute to community life. Its degree is determined by social, psychological and biological factors. In the workplace, it is associated with psychosocial risk (PSR), which can cause a variety of discomforts and negative emotions about work. The assessment of PSR in the workplace is necessary, their identification allows to take preventive measures to have an objective impact on absenteeism, performance, productivity and health of workers and organizations In this sense, the objective of this work is to evaluate the prevalence of work-related psychological organizational constraints in the group of practicing teachers based on the Karasek model. This is a cross-sectional survey with data from 100 qualified teachers in elementary school, secondary schools and universities. The respondents were informed in advance of the purpose of the survey and the anonymity of the data. They are teachers, men and women of all ages, different learning levels, different cycles, different teaching professions and different levels of experience.

Self-injury and suicide among people living with HIV/AIDS in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe prevalence of self-injury and suicide is higher than the general population of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). However, the results reported in existing studies are highly variable in China. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the currently available high-quality evidence to explore the prevalence and influence factors of self-injury and suicide among PLWHA in China.MethodWe retrieve literature written in Chinese and English through databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang Database, and CQVIP from inception to 1 September 2022. Sata 16.0 software was used for analysis.ResultsA total of 28 studies were included with a sample size of 1,433,971 and had a satisfactory quality score of ≥ 5. The prevalence among PLWHA in China were 30% for suicidal ideation (SI), 5% for suicide attempt (SA), 8% for suicide plan (SP), 7% for attempted suicide (AS), and 3‰ for completed suicide. High stigma (OR = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.90 − 4.57), depression (OR, 3.17; 95%CI, 2.20 − 4.57), anxiety (OR, 3.06; 95%CI, 2.23 − 4.20), low self-esteem (OR, 3.82, 95%CI, 2.22 − 6.57), high HIV related stress (OR, 2.53; 95%CI, 1.36 − 4.72), and unemployment (OR, 2.50; 95%CI, 1.51 − 4.15) are risk factors for SI; high social support (OR, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.44 − 0.84) and spouse infected with HIV (OR, 0.39; 95%CI, 0.21 − 0.74) are protective factors for SI; depression (OR, 1.62; 95%CI, 1.24 − 2.13), high aggression (OR, 4.66; 95%CI, 2.59 − 8.39), and more negative life events (OR, 2.51; 95%CI, 1.47 − 4.29) are risk factors for AS; high level of education (OR, 1.31; 95%CI, 1.21 − 1.43) is risk factor for CS.ConclusionFigures indicate that approximately one-third of PLWHA had suicidal ideation, and three out of 1,000 completed suicide in China. Positive events are protective factors for self-injury and suicide among PLWHA, while negative events are risk factors. This suggests that psychosocial support and risk assessment should be integrated into the care of PLWHA.

The burdens and benefits of managing and engaging: a diary study approach to person-centred risk assessment of top executives and works council members

The present diary study investigates the impact of daily effort–reward imbalance (ERI), subjective stress and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) as an objective measure on work engagement of top managers and high-level works council members (N = 45) on three consecutive working days. In the scope of psychosocial risk assessment, we argue that focusing on ERI as a generalized work characteristic might be more suitable for work re-design of higher leadership positions because of their highly dynamic and unpredictable psychosocial work characteristics, while at the same time having more access to job resources. The analyses reveal that both baseline and daily ERI, as well as subjective stress, influence work engagement. Our results suggest that interventions to reduce daily levels of ERI may improve the work environment of top managers and works councils by promoting work engagement and related positive health outcomes in the scope of person-centred risk assessment.

The social status adversity and health in daily life moments study: ecological momentary assessment and ambulatory health assessments to examine meaning and mechanisms

BackgroundAfrican Americans and those of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are at disproportionate risk for hypertension- and cardiovascular-disease-related mortality relative to their counterparts. Progress in reducing these disparities is slowed by the facts that these disparities are difficult to mitigate in older adults and early origins of these disparities are poorly understood. The Social Status Adversity and Health in Daily Life Moments Study aims to precisely understand the proximal cognitive-emotional mechanisms by which unique social exposures disproportionately impacting these populations influence blood pressure (BP) parameters early in the lifespan and determine which individuals are more at risk.MethodsThe study uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring to assess race- and SES-based factors as they manifest in daily life moments alongside simultaneously manifesting cognitive-emotional states and ABP. A sample of 270 healthy African Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 is being recruited to complete two periods of 2-day, 2-night hourly ABP monitoring alongside hourly EMA assessments of socioeconomic strain, unfair treatment, and neighborhood strain during the waking hours. ABP data will be used to calculate ecologically valid measures of BP reactivity, variability, and nocturnal dipping. Other measures include actigraphy equipment worn during the monitoring period and comprehensive assessment of behavioral and psychosocial risk and resilience factors. Multilevel and multiple linear regression analyses will examine which momentary social adversity exposures and cognitive-emotional reactions to these exposures are associated with worse BP parameters and for whom.DiscussionThis is the first time that this research question is approached in this manner. The Social Status Adversity and Health in Daily Life Moments Study will identify the cognitive-emotional mechanisms by which the most impactful race- and SES-based exposures influence multiple BP parameters in African American emerging adults. Further, it will identify those most at risk for the health impacts of these exposures. Achievement of these aims will shape the field’s ability to develop novel interventions targeting reduction of these exposures and modification of reactions to these exposures as well as attend to those subpopulations most needing intervention within the African American emerging adult population.

Psychosocial risks of workers in the plywood industry: A cross-sectional study in the Ecuadorian Amazon region

This work assessed the psychosocial risks of 124 workers from the plywood industry in Ecuador's Amazon region. Two psychosocial risk assessment (PRA) methods were selected due to their widespread use in Ecuadorian organisations: FPSICO from the Spanish National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the "Psychosocial Risk Assessment Questionnaire" (PRAQ) from the Ecuadorian Labour Ministry. Therefore, two surveys of 89 and 58 items were applied to evaluate nine scales and eight risk dimensions for FPSICO and PRAQ, respectively. Results show that according to FPSICO, the main psychosocial risks were detected in the scales of working time (WT), variety and content (VC), and workload (WL), with a prevalence of 34.8 % and 41.7 %. For PRAQ, the margin of action and control (D4), load and work rate (D1), and leadership (D3) were the most affected dimensions, with a risk prevalence between 29.1 % and 43.6 %. Although there is a lower risk prevalence in the rest of the scales and dimensions assessed, improvement actions are needed in the short term. Furthermore, the findings suggest an association between gender and risk prevalence, especially in the dimensions of Leadership (D3), Skills development (D2), and Self-perceived health (D8.8), where being a woman increases the likelihood of suffering from these conditions by up to three times. In addition, a brief comparative analysis was conducted, looking for coincidences in the scales that each PRA instrument assesses and the prevalence of the psychosocial risks detected.

Web-based occupational stress prevention in German micro- and small-sized enterprises – process evaluation results of an implementation study

BackgroundStructural and behavioral interventions to manage work-related stress are effective in employees. Nonetheless, they have been implemented insufficiently, particularly in micro- and small-sized enterprises (MSE). Main barriers include a lack of knowledge and limited resources, which could potentially be overcome with simplified web-based alternatives for occupational stress prevention. However, there is a lack of implementation research about web-based prevention in realistic settings of MSE.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the implementation process and success of an integrated web-based platform for occupational stress prevention (“System P”) and to identify potential barriers for its uptake and use in MSE in Germany.MethodsThis study with a mixed-methods approach investigates eight process-related outcomes in a quantitative part I (adoption, reach, penetration, fidelity/dose, costs, acceptability) and a qualitative part II (acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility). Part I has a pre-post design with two measurements (6 months apart) with 98 individual participants and part II consists of 12 semi-structured interviews with managers and intercorporate stakeholders.ResultsPart I revealed shortcomings in the implementation process. Adoption/Reach: Despite extensive marketing efforts, less than 1% of the contacted MSE responded to the offer of System P. A total of 40 MSE registered, 24 of which, characterized by good psychosocial safety climate, adopted System P. Penetration: Within these 24 MSE, 15% of the employees used the system. Fidelity/Dose: 11 MSE started a psychosocial risk-assessment (PRA), and no MSE finished it. The stress-management training (SMT) was started by 25 users and completed by 8. Costs: The use of System P was free of charge, but the time required to engage with was an indirect cost. Part II added insights on the perception of the web-based intervention: Acceptance of System P by users and stakeholders was good and it was assessed as appropriate for MSE. Results for feasibility were mixed.ConclusionsAlthough System P was generally perceived as useful and appropriate, only a small number of contacted MSE implemented it as intended. Prior experience and sensitivity for occupational (stress) prevention were mentioned as key facilitators, while (perceived) indirect costs were a key barrier. Enabling MSE to independently manage stress prevention online did not result in successful implementation. Increasing external support could be a solution.⁺ Full project name“PragmatiKK – Pragmatische Lösungen für die Implementation von Maßnahmen zur Stressprävention in Kleinst- und Kleinbetrieben” (= Pragmatic solutions for the implementation of stress prevention interventions in micro and small-sized enterprises).Trial registrationGerman Register of Clinical Studies (DRKS) DRKS00026154, date of registration 2021-09-16.

Assessment of Psychosocial Risks in Workers in the Health Sector: Evidence in the Peruvian Population

Health service providers are exposed to serious risks of physical and mental illnesses, thus creating an environment prone to psychosocial risks due to the nature of their work and its implications; it is necessary that they enjoy well-being to guarantee the safety and quality of care. care they provide to patients; this study aims to describe the prevalence of psychosocial risks in health workers, as well as to identify if sociodemographic factors are associated with this risk; for this purpose, a descriptive, association, quantitative and non-experimental study was applied to an initial sample of 2158 workers. The results show that age, gender, work modality and level of education are associated with psychosocial risks; in this sense, it is recommended to implement policies led by the human resources department in order to create a culture that values and prioritizes the mental and emotional well-being of employees. Received: 16 December 2023 / Accepted: 20 March 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

Implementation of the Mind Youth Questionnaire (MY-Q) for routine health-related quality of life screening of adolescents with type 1 diabetes in a large tertiary care center.

Prevalence of diabetes distress and mental health comorbidities among adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is high. Despite recommendations for routine psychosocial risk assessment, there is little guidance for their implementation. This study aims to describe the implementation and baseline outcomes of the Mind Youth Questionnaire (MY-Q), a validated psychosocial screening tool for health-related quality of life (QoL) including mood, among adolescents living with T1D. Adolescents aged 13-18 years completed the MY-Q from October 1, 2019-April 1, 2023. Baseline characteristics, MY-Q results including categories flagged positive (noting possible areas of concern), debrief duration, and frequency of social work or mental health referral were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 343 adolescents (mean age 15.3 years; 52 % female) completed a baseline MY-Q. Median overall MY-Q debrief time (IQR) was 10.0 min (6.0, 20.0). About 290 (84.5 %) adolescents had at least one of seven categories flagged, most commonly "Family" (61 %). About 30 % of adolescents had "Mood" flagged, and 2.9 % of adolescents were referred to mental health following debrief. Without the need for additional resources, implementation of the MY-Q in a pediatric tertiary care diabetes clinic successfully identified QoL issues and mental health concerns among adolescents with T1D.

Predicting Lost to Follow-Up Status Using an Adolescent HIV Psychosocial Attrition Risk Assessment Tool: Results From a Mixed Methods Prospective Cohort Study in Uganda.

Low retention in care for adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) has been a key driver of suboptimal viral load suppression rates in Uganda. The objective of this study was to develop a psychosocial risk assessment tool and evaluate its ability to predict the risk of attrition of ALHIV between the ages 15 and 19 years. The study was conducted in 20 facilities in Central and Western Uganda from August 2021 through July 2022. A mixed methods prospective cohort study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the Adolescent Psychosocial Attrition Risk Assessment tool was developed and revised using feedback from focus group discussions and interviews. In the second phase, the ability of the Adolescent Psychosocial Attrition Risk Assessment tool to predict attrition among ALHIV was evaluated using diagnostic accuracy tests. A total of 597 adolescents between the ages 15 and 19 years were enrolled, of which 6% were lost to follow-up at the end of the study period. A 20-question tool was developed, with 12 questions being responded to affirmatively by >50% of all participants. Using a cut-off score of 6 or more affirmative answers translated to an area under the curve of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.49 to 0.66), sensitivity of 55% (95% CI: 36% to 72%), and specificity of 61% (95% CI: 56% to 65%). Although the Adolescent Psychosocial Attrition Risk Assessment tool was not effective at predicting lost to follow-up status among ALHIV, the tool was useful for identifying psychosocial issues experienced by ALHIV and may be appropriate to administer during routine care visits to guide action.

PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK AND DISTRESS IN CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER

Family members experience challenging situations in the diagnosis/treatment of childhood cancer. The illness can affect the family adjustment and adherence to the child/adolescent's care, reflecting on routines and relationships (family, marital, work and social). Cancer can reach high levels of distress in caregivers. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationships between indicators of psychosocial risk and distress in caregivers of children/adolescents with cancer. Fourteen caregivers answered the instruments on: socioeconomic characteristics (Brazil Economic Classification Criterion [CCEB]); psychosocial risk assessment (Psychosocial Assessment Tool [PAT 2.0]); and distress (Distress Thermometer). The data were submitted to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. It was found that most families presented a "target" classification of psychosocial risk and distress (e.g., worry, nervousness and pain). Inferential analyses did not confirm the hypothesis of a correlation between the level of distress and the total PAT score. However, positive correlations were observed between the domains of the scales, such as: positive correlation between the level of distress and problems with patients; and between partner distress and sibling problems, caregivers' problems, and caregivers' stress reactions. Negative correlations between physical and emotional distress symptoms and PAT domains were also observed. Caregiver distress may represent limitations to treatment, as it impacts emotional well-being and psychosocial functioning, especially in vulnerable families. Further studies are suggested to consider clinical and sociodemographic characteristics in order to understand the relationships between psychosocial variables involved. The need for systematic psychosocial assessment for pediatric oncology care is reinforced.

Assessment of psychosocial risks at work in supervisors of clothing stores during the pandemic context

The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate how to carry out a structured, sustained and objective assessment of psychosocial risks at work. Several studies in the literature on this topic are presented as risk assessments, when in fact they reflect the results from worker consultation procedures and/or surveys about the psychosocial work climate. As relevant as these studies are, many are not professional risk assessments. This assessment obeys a set of assumptions that must be strictly respected and performed by duly qualified professionals, as national and European legislation determine. Using a practical case with supervisors of clothing stores evaluated during the pandemic context, it is explained and applied an approach to perform this kind of risk assessment. The data presented show the effectiveness of the methodology applied. Regarding the results obtained in the practical case mobilized, a positive psychosocial work environment, even taking into account the pandemic context, with most risk factors showing acceptable or moderate incidences. It is possible to conclude that the pandemic period, despite creating contextual constraints, was not consider a specific risk factor in these stores and the supervisors felt safe in their workplace, because there was a robust system of preventive measures implemented. However, it is important to underline that exist also dissatisfaction with working conditions in some segments of supervisors, as well as a high level of risk of professional exhaustion, interpersonal conflicts at work and interference of work with personal/family life. For this reason, intervention measures were proposed to the company.

Survey Design Moderates Negativity Bias but not Positivity Bias in Self-Reported Job Stress

Abstract: Self-report measures are both frequently used and criticized in studies of job-related stress. The question remains whether affective dispositions lead to biased assessments. In this study, we examine the extent to which survey characteristics are susceptible to bias by the characteristics of the person making the assessment. Participants ( N = 1,509) in an online split ballot experiment were randomly assigned to report their job stressors using a 2 (task vs. person-related items) × 2 (frequency vs. agreement response format) factorial design. Participants high in neuroticism or negative affectivity, but not positive affectivity, reported more job stressors when responding to person-related items compared to task-related items. Individuals high in neuroticism reported more job stressors when assessed with agreement compared to frequency response format. However, the response format did not alter the relationship between self-reported job stressors and positive or negative affectivity. Findings indicate how survey design can reinforce affectivity bias in the assessments of job stressors. If an assessment is intended to evaluate objective circumstances rather than subjective experiences at work (e.g., the presence of general risk factors within psychosocial risk assessment), it is recommended to employ condition-related questionnaires with task-related item wordings and frequency response formats.

Initial programme theory development: The first step in a realist evaluation of a cross-sectoral intervention for expectant Danish parents living with psychosocial risks.

A distinct inequality in maternity care exists, and women with psychosocial risks are at a greater risk of adverse birth outcomes. In several high-income countries, a psychosocial risk assessment early in pregnancy is recommended so that expectant parents are offered an appropriate level of care which facilitates relevant, tailored interventions for those in need. In 2017, a cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary intervention for expectant parents with psychosocial risks was developed and implemented in the North Denmark Region. The development process of the intervention has not been reported and theory-based knowledge about how supportive interventions bring about change for expectant parents with psychosocial risks is scarce. Through the initial phase of a realist evaluation, we aimed to elicit key contexts and mechanisms of change regarding the intervention for expectant parents with psychosocial risks. Through an initial programme theory, this article illustrates how, for whom and in which contexts the intervention is intended to work. Data is comprised of intervention documents, 14 pilot observations and 29 realist interviews with key stakeholders. A thematic analytical approach inspired by retroductive thinking was applied to identify and analyse patterns related to the incentive of the intervention, its structure, intended outcomes, generative mechanisms and contextual matters. Generative mechanisms responsible for bringing about change in the intervention were identified as healthcare professionals' approach, continuity, trust, early intervention and social network. Cross-sectoral collaboration and healthcare professionals' competencies were assumed to be central stimulating contextual factors. The initial programme theory developed in this study will serve as the basis for further refinement via empirical testing in a later phase of the realist evaluation.