Stress Prevention Programs Research Articles

Unveiling social relationships: exploring the importance of relationships as a moderator of the link between effort-reward imbalance and leader-member exchange among healthcare professionals

ObjectiveHealthcare professionals are at increased risk of experiencing occupational stress and its detrimental stress-sequalae. Relevant theories that contribute to the subjective experience of occupational stress have been identified, such as the model of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and the concept of leader-member exchange (LMX). The aim of this study was to examine how the perceived importance of social relationships at work moderates the relationship between LMX and imbalance ERI.MethodsA survey was conducted among N = 1,137 healthcare professionals from diverse occupational categories in a tertiary hospital in Germany. ERI was gauged using the German version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI-S 10). The quality of leader-employee dyadic relationships was assessed using the German version of the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX-7). The importance of social relationships was assessed on the basis of a previously validated polarity profile.ResultsMore than 75% of healthcare professionals reported high levels of ERI, with those involved in direct patient care particularly affected. On average, leaders rated relationship quality higher than their respective followers. Subjectively higher LMX was associated with lower ERI. This association was moderated by the perceived importance of social relationships at work. Higher subjective ratings of their importance led to a stronger association.ConclusionThe study highlights the particular challenges faced in the healthcare sector. The results emphasize that the perceived importance of social relationships at work can play a key role in healthcare professionals’ job stress and underline the need for stress prevention programs that engage both leaders and followers.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR BANK WOKERS IN ADO-EKITI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EKITI STATE

Stress has debilitating effect on the productivity of any company or establishment. When stress has overcome or take over thehuman resources of any establishment, the end thereof of the establishment production will be low; thence work stress needs to be managed both at individual level and in a general level for better productivity. This study seek to examine stress management techniques for bank workers in Ado-Ekiti local government area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The research design that was used for thisstudy was survey design of the descriptive type of research. The sample size of four hundred (400) bank workers was sampled for the study using simple random sampling technique. The respondents were drawn from commercial banks in the study area. The instrument for data collection was a self-constructed questionnaire. The split half method of reliability was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and Spearman Brown’s formula. A coefficient of 0.93 was obtained. Formulated hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics of Pearson Chi-Square, the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The researcher concluded that there is significant occurrence of stress during work among bank workers, break between work period and Physical therapies will be a stress managing technique among bank workers. The researcher recommended that each bank worker should balance family, work, social and spiritual life in order to keep up an effective and quality stress management. The management of banks should set up organizational stress prevention programme to provide an environment will less stress for optimal productivity from their workers. The bank management should design and implement interventions based on the information gathered from their interaction with the workers. These interventions should be priotized.

Stress and predictive psychosocial variables in Ecuadorian university teachers

ABSTRACT University professors are exposed to high levels of stress as a result of the multiple activities involved in their profession. The objective of this research is to explain how a sequence of psychosocial variables directly and indirectly influences stress. Method: A non-probabilistic and non-clinical sample of 480 professors from different Ecuadorian universities was surveyed online, and participation was anonymous. Sequential Canonical Analysis was used (SEQCA). This paper examined the following multivariate sequence: (1) resilience; (2) psychological inflexibility; (3) loneliness; (4) life engagement; and (5) stress. The model also considered the indirect influences of work-related variables including occupation, work-hours, and likelihood of losing a job. Results: The overall SEQCA was statistically significant (p < .0001) and accounted for 36% of the variance. Conclusions: Psychosocial variables predict stress more than work-related variables. The results will provide information for designing effective stress prevention programs.

War in Ukraine as a mental health challenge of Czech health care workers

IntroductionCzech health care workers recently experienced serious challenges to their mental health. After the COVID-19 pandemic that was extremely stressful, a war in Ukraine caused a flood of refugees that needed health care. Although the Czech Republic does not have borders with Ukraine, it welcomed more than 400,000 refugees in 2022.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between depression and working with Ukrainian refugees among health care workers and the nature of emotional burden connected with this situation.MethodsWe use data from an online survey of the Czech COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) Study collected in September - November 2022 (n=1,076). We combined quantitative binary logistic regression and qualitative content analysis of answers to an open-ended question (“How does the current situation of war in Ukraine affect your mental well-being and working conditions?”). Logistic regression estimated odds ratio (OR) of at least moderate depression, defined as =&gt; 10 points on the Patient Health Questionnaire.ResultsAmong our participants (75.1% women, mean age 46 (SD 11.0)), 62.1% had experience of working with Ukrainian refugees, and 13.8% reported moderate to severe depression. Logistic regression model (adjusted for potential confounders) indicated that health care workers who worked with Ukrainian refugees had slightly greater chance of having depression, but the association was not statistically reliable (OR 1.05; 95% CI 0.59-1.86). Out of all survey respondents, 867 replied to an open-ended question. As follows from qualitative analysis, three categories of psychological strain were described by the health care workers: 1) specificity of work with the refugee patients (e.g. language barrier, increased workload, opinion conflicts), 2) insecurity, threat of war and fears about future (regarding global and nuclear war, security, future of kids, economic burden, etc.), 3) grief and compassion for the suffering of refugees. It was also frequently mentioned in the responses that war is a greater threat to health care workers than the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsThere is a slight association between working with refugees and depression. However, health care workers are also endangered by general fears of war and insecurity in a nearby country. In this changing world, it is of the greatest importance to pay attention to resilience building and stress prevention programs. Further, health care workers should be offered psychological support and practical resources to deal with the varying workload.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Interventions to reduce stress and prevent burnout in healthcare professionals supported by digital applications: a scoping review.

Healthcare professionals are at increased risk of burnout, primarily due to workplace-related stressors. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased this risk. Different interventions exist with varying degrees of effectiveness; little is reported on the content and implementation of such programs. This review fills this gap, with attention to recent programs using digital components. PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar were searched between January 24th and 28th, 2022, limited to the last 5 years (≥2017). Articles were included if they (1) focused on stress reduction or burnout prevention for nurses and medical doctors within workplace health promotion for nurses or medical doctors, (2) included a digital program component, (3) were conducted in high-income country contexts, and (4) were clinical studies published in English or German. Data was extracted using a priori designed spreadsheets. A group of at least 2 authors at each stage carried out the screening, selection, and data extraction. The search strategy identified 153 articles, all except 7 were excluded. Two studies were conducted in the USA, two in Spain, one in the Netherlands, Poland, and Korea each. Four studies used a randomized study design, all but one had a control group. A wide range of outcome measures was used. The types of interventions included an adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with aspects of behavioral therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy, or acceptance and commitment therapy. The digital components used were apps (4 studies), a digital platform, blended learning, and a web-based intervention (1 study each). Six studies focused on individual interventions, one included organizational interventions. Despite an acute burnout crisis in the healthcare sector, only seven recent interventions were found that integrated digital components. Several problems emerged during the implementation of the interventions that made it clear that organizational support is urgently needed for successful implementation. Although interventions for stress reduction and burnout prevention should combine individual and organizational measures to be as successful as possible, this was only partially the case in one of the intervention programs. The results of this scoping review can be used to further develop or optimize stress and burnout prevention programs.

A Pilot Program Evaluation for a Backcountry Search and Rescue Stress Injury Awareness Course

This project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a stress awareness pilot program in reducing stress and burnout among Backcountry search and rescue (BSAR) volunteers. BSAR volunteers in Colorado experience taxing work demands with routine exposures to stressors. There are limited interventions available for preventing and reducing burnout among BSAR volunteers. We conducted a program evaluation using secondary data from a Wellness and Stress Awareness Pilot course conducted between July 2021 and December 2021. The survey included 65 questions to assess participants’ understanding of stress injuries and level of stress and burnout across Colorado BSAR groups including the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, and Middle Rocky Mountains. BSAR volunteers reported increased capacity to cope with stress after participating in the program, improving on all target learning objectives (P &lt; .001). The percentage of BSAR volunteers who rated their current level of burnout as either high or very high dropped from 27% to 20% after participation in the course. Wellness and stress prevention programs may help raise awareness about chronic stress and reduce burnout among BSAR volunteers. These programs are needed to identify and prevent burnout and stress injuries among the BSAR community.

Academic Stress Among Male and Female Students After the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study aims to describe the condition of students' academic stress and examine differences in academic stress in male and female students after the Covid-19 pandemic. This research is a comparative research obtained through random sampling. The sample of this study was 118 students consisting of several high schools in Padang City. Data was collected with an academic stress scale with 57 items. The analysis technique uses the item response theory (IRT) approach with the Rasch Model analysis. This study examines descriptive and differences with Welch with the help of WINSTEPS Version 4.7.0. The results show that there is a significant difference between male and female academic stress. Other findings found that women's academic stress tended to be higher than that of men, and what was interesting from this data was that there was a woman who was at the highest logit or an outlier, meaning that this woman needed to be given intervention to reduce her stress by providing individual counseling services. Based on the results of this study it is hoped that school counselors will focus more on women for academic stress prevention programs.

Feeling Informed and Safe Are Important Factors in the Psychosomatic Health of Frontline Workers in the Health Sector during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Austria.

An online survey was conducted at three times (April 2020, winter 2020/2021, and winter 2021/2022) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria. The sample included 160 healthcare workers at screening time 1, 1.361 healthcare workers at screening time 2, and 1.134 healthcare workers at screening time 3. The survey included COVID-19 work-related fears, satisfaction with the frontline work, and standardized inventories to assess psychosomatic symptoms, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D). Psychosomatic symptoms were more common among women compared to men, and among frontline workers compared to non-frontline workers, especially during the course of the pandemic at t2 and t3. Self-reported scores of COVID-19 work-related fears were significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms. Furthermore, in frontline workers, there was a significant association between the feeling of being safe and well-informed and psychosomatic symptoms. COVID-19 work-related fears and psychosomatic symptoms have been prevalent among healthcare workers throughout the pandemic. Feeling safe and informed appears to be essential to prevent psychosomatic symptoms, leading to a recommendation for employers in the healthcare sector to focus on communication and information. As frontline workers are especially prone to psychosomatic symptoms, more stress prevention programs for them will be essential to maintain productivity and reduce sick days and fluctuations in the healthcare system.

Perceived stress, workload and psychosomatic complaints in inpatient and outpatient care nurses.

Background: Occupational stress, dissatisfaction, higher risk for chronical and psychological disorders impairs the well-being of care nurses staff and maintaining the quality of elderly and disabled care. However, few studies have compared the psychological and physical stress in nurses working in inpatient and outpatient care settings. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare perceived stress, workload and psychosomatic complaints in nurses working in inpatient and outpatient care settings. Methods: 158 care nurses working in geriatric and disabled care participated in the quantitative cross-sectional survey study. Comparisons of stress, workload and psychosomatic complaints were made between the inpatient and outpatient care group. Results: Nurses working in the outpatient care reported more subjective experience of stress and more workload compared to nurses working in inpatient care. Additionally, nurses working in outpatient care reported more psychosomatic complaints compared to nurses in inpatient care. Conclusions: Our results suggest that inpatient and outpatient nurses experience their nursing activities differently stressful. In future research the differential stress factors need to be explored to provide adequate job training and develop stress prevention programs.

Paving the way to reduce work-stress in rehabilitation nurses: Promising results from a pilot study

Work Stress (WS) negatively affects both nurses and the healthcare system. The aim of this exploratory study is to investigate the effect of a professional stress prevention program in order to reduce WS in nurses working in a Rehab Ward. Twenty-three nurses were enrolled in this pilot study. The professional stress prevention program was based on group meetings and individual support. At baseline, we found a high burnout risk in nurses. At the end of the meetings, we found a normalization in WS, with a higher sense of personal achievement and a greater use of functional coping strategies. Intervention on WS could be a useful way to reduce stress and anxiety, promoting more functional coping strategies to face work difficulties in nurses working in Rehab wards.

Validation of the general self-efficacy scale in french students for the prevention of student health

IntroductionThe perceived self-efficacy, framed by Bandura, is one of the most important concepts within Cognitive Social (Villegas Barahona et al., 2018). General self-efficacy is defined, as the global confidence a person has in order to perform tasks successfully (Stanley &amp; Murphy, 1997). The perception of stress may be more for people with lower level of self-efficacy (Shilpa &amp; Prasad, 2017).ObjectivesStudents often suffer from stress (Saleh et al., 2019) and student health intervention and prevention programs must therefore act on this variable. The French version the General Self-Efficacy Scale could be an element for the validation of these programs.Methods955 French students aged 17 to 67 (M = 22.22; SD = 5.1) participated to the study. We performed an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to determine the most appropriate factor structure then a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).ResultsKaiser’s criterion pointed towards a one-factor model while Cattel’s criterion pointed towards a two-factor solution. Both models have been tested and the two-factor model seemed to be better. Indices showed an excellent fit between the model and the data (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, SRMR = 0.035).ConclusionsWe have tested two models and one of them, the two-factor model, presented better psychometric qualities. However, the one-factor result is also satisfactory and it will be discussed in the communication.

Is there a Divine Reward? Spirituality/Religiosity (S/R) Protects from Work Dissatisfaction and Reduces Stress Load

Increasing work stress is held responsible for the increasing number of days of incapacity to work due to mental disorders. Various individual and structural causes of stress have been identified, whereas possible compensating interactions in the sense of the person-environment-fit approach are so far not investigated. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that S/R (spirituality/religiousness) can compensate a gratification crisis, i. e. the mismatch between effort and reward. Standardized questionnaires assessed stress (TICS), gratification crisis (ERI) and S/R (SBI) in a multicenter cross-sectional study, asking employees in psychiatric rehabilitation centers. The interaction (moderator effect) was tested by analysis of variance. No interaction (moderator model) was found but an indirectly adaptive association between S/R and stress load: religious/spiritual employees felt more rewarded and thus a gratification crisis was prevented. An additional gift of God? We propose a theoretical process model for further investigation. The results are relevant to stress prevention programs.

Incorporating Human–Animal Interaction Into Academic Stress Management Programs: Effects on Typical and At-Risk College Students’ Executive Function

Implementation of university-based animal-assisted stress-prevention programs is increasing despite limited knowledge about impacts on students’ academic success. This randomized trial (N = 309) examined the effects of a 4-week stress-prevention program with varying levels of human–animal interaction (HAI) and evidence-based content presentations on students’ executive functioning (EF). Effects were examined while considering the moderating role of students’ risk status (N = 121), based on history of academic failure, suicidal ideation, mental health, and learning issues. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that at-risk students showed the highest levels of EF (Β = 4.74, p = .018) and metacognition (Β = 4.88, p = .013) at posttest in the condition featuring 100% HAI, effects that remained 6 weeks later (ΒGlobal EF = 4.48, p = .028; ΒMetacognition = 5.31,p = .009). Since evidence-based content presentations did not confer benefits for at-risk students’ EF, even when offered in combination with HAI, universities should consider providing at-risk students with targeted programs emphasizing exposure to HAI.

A Multimodal Stress-Prevention Program Supplemented by Telephone-Coaching Sessions to Reduce Perceived Stress among German Farmers: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study compared the effectiveness of a 12-day stress-prevention program (SGS) supplemented by individualized, structured, four-session telephone-coaching to that of an SGS without telephone-coaching in entrepreneurs from the green professions presenting with increased stress levels. All participants went through the SGS before being randomized either to the telephone-coaching group (TC) or to the control group without telephone-coaching (noTC). SGS included four key therapeutic elements: stress-management intervention, relaxation, physical exercise, and balneotherapy. The primary outcome was the current degree of subjectively experienced stress assessed with the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) at a 9-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included burnout symptoms, well-being, health status, sleep disorders, expectation of self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, ability to work, pain, and days of sick leave. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 12 days (end of program), and 1 (start telephone-coaching), 3, 6 (end of telephone-coaching), and 9 months. Data from 103 adults (TC = 51; noTC = 52), mostly fulltime farmers, were available for analysis (mean age: 55.3; 49.1% female). Participants experienced significant immediate improvement in all outcome measurements, which declined somewhat during the first three months after the end of SGS and then remained stable for at least another six months. While within-group changes from baseline to 9 months showed significant improvements at medium to large effect sizes for all target variables (PSQ-total, TC: −13.38 (±14.98); 95%-CI: (−17.68; −9.07); noTC: −11.09 (±14.15); 95%-CI: (−15.11; −7.07)), no statistically significant differences were found between the groups at any time and for any target variable (between-group ANCOVA for PSQ-total at 9 months, parameter estimator for the group: −1.58; 95%-CI: (−7.29; 4.13)). The stress-prevention program SGS is a feasible, effective, and practical way to reduce perceived stress and improve participants’ resources. Four subsequent telephone-coaching sessions do not seem to contribute to a further improvement in the results.

The effect of active occupational stress management on psychosocial and physiological wellbeing: a pilot study

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to address the working population with an occupational stress prevention program using mHealth solution and encourage them for healthy lifestyle choices.MethodsSeventeen participants were randomized from the corporate setting. A 24alife app with a good compliance program was selected. Test battery has been designed to test the physical readiness, psychological evaluation and biological blood markers for stress. Participants were followed up after 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively, within the intervention period. Weight of participants was tracked three times per month. Univariate analysis compared the continuous variables by One-Way Repeated-Measures ANOVA test when the data were normally distributed, or Wilcoxon rank sum test for abnormal distribution of variables.ResultsParticipants used the app with a compliance rate of 94.1%. The psychological evaluation revealed higher motivation for work, lower burnout scores and participants gave subjective responses of better general wellbeing. Some of the participants lost up to four kg of body mass. Physical readiness has also improved.ConclusionsResults of mHealth projects on corporate could include primary health care institutions and health ministry to extend the existing system to patients’ pockets where they can monitor their disease and increase the ability of self-care.

One Shot—No Hit? Evaluation of a Stress-Prevention Workshop for Adolescent Soccer Players in a Randomized Controlled Trial

Adolescent soccer players experience many stressors and negative stress-related outcomes. Short-term stress-prevention programs are frequently implemented in youth sports, although there is limited evidence of their usefulness and effectiveness. Thus, the present study evaluated the usefulness and effectiveness of a stress-prevention workshop for adolescent soccer players. Ninety-two soccer players (age: M = 15.5 years, SD = 1.43; 31.5% female) were randomly allocated to either an intervention group or an intervention control group. To evaluate effectiveness, stress, coping, and depression were assessed at baseline (t1) and 4 weeks postworkshop (t2). To investigate usefulness, the perceived quality of results was assessed at t2. No intervention effects on stress, coping, and depression emerged, but both groups exhibited high values regarding perceived quality of results. Although one workshop might not be enough to modify stress-related parameters, it may be useful for adolescent soccer players and pave the way for long-term interventions.

0552 Investigating Pre-Sleep Processes and How They Influence Sleep: A Diary and Actigraphy Study

Abstract Introduction The current study examined the relationship between pre-sleep processes and sleep in the context of real-world stress exposure in medical students during an internship. Medical students are often exposed to a variety of stressors and potentially traumatic events and have been shown to be at risk to develop psychopathology. Previous research has shown an association between stress, psychological distress, and sleep disturbances. In this context, studies have investigated possible predictors for sleep disturbances. Recently, the period just prior to sleep onset has received increased interest. At the moment, little is known, however, about the influence of such pre-sleep processes. In this study, we investigated the influence of pre-sleep rumination and mindfulness on sleep disturbances. Methods In a prospective study, we examined a sample of 50 medical students from the University of Zurich. All participants completed their first medical internship over 9 months as part of medical school. Pre-sleep processes and sleep were indexed mid-internship using sleep diaries over seven consecutive days. Additionally, a Fitbit tracking device was used to objectively measure sleep. Correlational analyses and multilevel linear models were conducted. Results Results show associations between pre-sleep processes and sleep disturbances in this stress-exposed at-risk population. Multilevel mixed-effects models showed that over the period of 7 consecutive nights, pre-sleep rumination was a significant predictor of lower subjective sleep quality (B = -.085, SE = .036, p = .02), lower subjective total sleep time (B = -.124, SE = .043, p = .005), higher subjective sleep onset latency (B = 1.535, SE = .678, p = .025), and higher subjective wake-up frequency (B = .033, SE = .011, p = .003). Conclusion Together, our data suggest pre-sleep processes as potential targets for stress-prevention programs that could help reduce the negative influence of stress in at risk populations. Support NA

The Role of Life Stressors in the Relationship Between Work-Related Stress and Depressive Symptoms Among Working Black Adults in the United States

BackgroundWork-related stress (WRS) has been considered a major source of stress for adults in the United States for more than a decade and it is higher in urban settings and greater among Black adults. Although research has established a connection between WRS, life stressors, and depressive symptoms, no previous studies have explicitly examined the association between spillover from life stressors to work and depressive symptoms using a nationally representative survey of Black Americans.ObjectiveThis current study examines how work related stressors are related to depressive symptomatology among working Black adults in the United States (defined as Black adults 18 years or older who were employed at the time of the interview), and whether this relationship is mediated by life stressors.MethodsMultivariate logistic regression analysis compared work-related stress and other life stressors between working Black adults with depressed symptoms and working Black adults without depressive symptoms. Mediation of life stressors between work-related stress and depressive symptoms was also analyzed.FindingsWork-related stress (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.32), (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.71), neighborhood stressors (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.70), and financial stressors (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.54, 2.60) were associated with higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms with low educational attainment serving as a critical component. Life stressors partially mediates the relationship between WRS and depressive symptoms (OR: 1.10, Bias-corrected 95% CI: 1.04, 1.16).ConclusionsThis study provides the foundation for the inclusion of other stressors (i.e., neighborhood and financial), beyond familial stressors, when exploring the spillover effect for working Black adults; taking into consideration the differential effects among high and low educational stratum. Organizations must begin to take a holistic and comprehensive approach when integrating policies and programs aimed at promoting interventions into their work-related stress prevention programs for Black adults—focusing on the full stress experience among workers at lower educational levels.

Spirituality and Prayer on Teacher Stress and Burnout in an Italian Cohort: A Pilot, Before-After Controlled Study.

IntroductionTeaching is a stressful profession that exposes workers to the risk of burnout. Techniques involving higher mental functions, such as transcendental meditation and prayer, have been used in stress and burnout prevention programs. In this study, we report the results of an experience conducted in a group of teachers of a religious institute, in which prayer was used as a technique to prevent burnout.MethodsFifty teachers and support staff employed at a Catholic school of a Congregation of nuns volunteered for this study. They were randomized into two groups: prayer treatment (n = 25) or control group (n = 25). The treatment protocol was based on the combination of individual Christian prayer and a focus group of prayer-reflection. The participants received two 30 min training sessions a week over 2 months. Job satisfaction, well-being, and burnout symptoms (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization sub-scales) were measured at baseline and at follow-up (4 months) with the Italian versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory validated for teaching and education sector, the General Health Questionnaire, and the Warr, Cook, and Wall’s Job Satisfaction Scale.ResultsAt follow-up, a significant improvement of all outcome measures was observed. Emotional exhaustion (16.80–4.92, p < 0.001), depersonalization (3.72–0.60, p < 0.001) levels, and psychological impairment (10.08–2.04, p < 0.001) were significantly decreased, and job satisfaction (45.96–77.00, p < 0.001) was increased. The effect sizes (Glass’ Δ) of the therapeutic interventions ranged from 0.53 (satisfaction level) to 2.87 (psychological health), suggesting moderate to large effects.DiscussionPrayer could be effective, no less than meditation and other spiritual or mind-body techniques, in contrasting the negative effects of occupational stress and preventing burnout among teachers and possibly other human service professionals.

Dating Stress, Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Study among University Students in Uganda

Objectives: Worldwide, dating related stress and its impact on mental health among students has turned out to be of public health concern. However, research on this phenomenon in low- and middle-income countries (LAMIC) remains lacking. This study described the occurrence of dating-related stress and its association with psychological state aspects of depression and anxiety among students in a Ugandan University. Methods: In this cross-sectional study using convenient sampling, 255 students were interviewed on their exposure to dating stress using psychological victimization scale (PVS), depression using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and anxiety using Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). Data were analyzed using Stata version 12.1 and correlations and associations were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence rate of dating-related stress was at 88%. Specifically, students who had ever experienced dating related stress were more than five times likely to suffer from depression compared to those who have never experienced dating related stress (OR=5.9; 95% CI=1.9, 13.3, P ≤ 0.001). Students who had ever experienced dating related stress were more than four times likely to suffer anxiety than those who have never experienced dating related stress (OR= 4.2; 95% CI=1.6, 11.1; P=0.004). Conclusion: There is high dating related stress which subsequently impacts the psychological wellbeing of students in Universities. We recommend that dating related stress be given due attention and corrective action from institution officials and counselors to provide appropriate positive coping mechanisms like psycho-education and stress prevention programs.