Work-related Stress Disorders Research Articles

Comparison between Standard Expository Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) and Immersive Virtual Reality CBT (CBT-VR) for Rehabilitation of Patients Affected by Occupational Stress Disorders: Study Protocol.

Work-related stress presents a significant impact on work performance and physical health. It has been associated with the onset of a multitude of symptoms that can lead to occupational stress diseases, namely Adjustment Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The literature has evidenced that "exposure therapy" of cognitive-behavioral training (CBT-E) seems to be the most effective technique to manage stress symptoms, including work stress diseases, and several studies have considered Virtual Reality (VR) as an adjuvant tool to exposure-based psychotherapy (CBT-VR) for the treatment of multiple psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT with exposure to stressful work scenarios in imaginative (CBT-E) and in immersive virtual reality (CBT-VR) scenarios in a group of workers affected by work-related stress disorders and compare the clinical and physiological outcomes between the two exposure techniques. A long-term goal would be to develop an evidence-based rehabilitation program as a treatment for the reintegration into work of patients affected by these psychiatric disorders.

Researching Workplace Violence: Challenges for Emergency Nursing Researchers

Workplace violence (WPV) in health care settings can create long-term sequelae for nurses, including anxiety, poor sleep patterns, work-related stress disorders, depressive disorders, and psychological distress. 1 Alsharari A.F. Abu-Snieneh H.M. Abuadas F.H. et al. Workplace violence towards emergency nurses: a cross-sectional multicenter study. Australas Emerg Care. 2022; 25: 48-54https://doi.org/10.1016/j.auec.2021.01.004 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (14) Google Scholar Study findings suggest that WPV also may be associated with higher risk of interpersonal violence, psychoactive substance abuse, burnout, suicidal ideation, and suicide. 2 Nielsen M.B. Nielsen G.H. Notelaers G. Einarsen S. Workplace bullying and Suicidal Ideation: a 3-wave longitudinal Norwegian study. Am J Public Health. 2015; 105: e23-e28https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2015.302855 Crossref PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar Identifying interventions that can reduce both the prevalence and effects of WPV is a critically important line of research; emergency department–focused researchers examining elements of WPV must account for significant challenges in conducting meaningful research, including the lack of an accepted definition, challenges in data collection, unclear metrics or outcome measures, and methodological limitations. In this paper, we aim to describe these challenges and offer suggestions to help researchers and others to better define the phenomenon of WPV, the necessary data required, ways to collect data, and outcome measures that can be used to guide intervention development or selection. Lisa A. Wolf, is Director, Emergency Nursing Research, Emergency Nurses Association, Schaumburg, IL. Twitter: @LisaWol97737411. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7065-470X; Associate Professor, Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7065-470X; and ENA Member, Pioneer Valley Chapter. Christian N. Burchill is Director of Nursing Research and Science, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Lancaster, PA. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4310-9615.

Affective temperament and mood spectrum symptoms in workers suffering from work-related stress disorders

IntroductionAdjustment Disorders (AD) which develop in response to work-related stressors represent a model of psychiatric occupational disease. Major Depressive Episodes (MDE) although often associated to work-related stressors are unlikely recognized by insurance institutes as occupational diseases. Affective temperament and mood spectrum symptoms are possible factors of vulnerability to stress. The aim of this study was to investigate if temperaments and mood spectrum symptoms had a different distribution among workers exposed to occupational stress and suffering from different psychiatric disorders (AD, MDE). Methods156 AD and 97 MDE patients were recruited and evaluated with scales for perceived stress (PSM) and work-related stress (JCQ), for psychopathological symptoms (BDI-II, SAS), for affective temperament (TEMPS-A[P]) and for lifetime mood spectrum symptoms (MOODS-SR). Group comparisons and correlation analyses between variables were performed by parametric or non-parametric statistical tests according to variables distribution. ResultsThe diagnostic groups did not differ for perceived and occupational stress levels. MDE patients reported significantly higher BDI-II score and MOODS-SR scores than AD ones. The hyperthymic temperament was significantly more frequent in AD than in MDE group. The hyperthymic score, differently from other dimensions of temperament and from mood spectrum components, negatively correlated or did not correlate with psychopathological symptoms severity and perceived stress levels. LimitationsPredictive limitation because of cross-sectional design. ConclusionsThe hyperthymic temperament as opposed to lifetime subtreshold mood symptoms appears to be more represented in patients suffering from occupational AD than in MDE ones. Acknowledging vulnerability factors to job stress could support clinicians in occupational diseases prevention and management.

Work-related stress in medical personnel: A new instrument for screening and evidence-based recommendations for therapeutic management

Medical personnel is constantly exposed to a variety of stressful events, starting from work overloading, to threats to one’s own health or personal integrity, disruptions in personal relationships due to high stress in the professional environment, continuous need to keep in touch with the advances of medical science and therapeutic guidelines etc. Structured evaluation of work-related stress disorders (WRSD) is important both for screening purposes in a vulnerable population like the medical personnel, and for the monitoring of the overall status evolution during individual or organizational interventions. Beside burnout syndrome, major depressive episodes, anxiety disorders, acute stress reactions, posttraumatic stress reactions, substance use disorders, adjustment disorders are also included in the category of WRSD. A specific instrument has been designed for the purpose of screening for WRSD in this specific population, i.e. the Work-related Stress Inventory for Medical Personnel, structured as a 20 items, self-administered instrument (WRSIMP-20). This inventory evaluates three main dimensions- (1) mood symptoms and somatic equivalents, (2) work and professional environment-related discomfort, and (3) interpersonal relationship-associated distress. The results of online administration of WRSIMP-20 in 81 health care workers and 52 individuals not related in any way to health care professions (control group) were consistent with the premises, as this inventory has been proven valid for the targeted population. Larger trials and test-retest evaluation are needed in order to complete the psychometric properties of WRSIMP-20, but this instrument seems promising in the detection of individuals vulnerable to WRSD

Adjustment Disorders in DSM-5: Implications for Occupational Health Surveillance

Work-related stress is experienced when the demands of the work environment exceed the employees’ ability to cope with (or control) them. Recently, in DSM-5, disorders which are precipitated by specific stressful and potentially traumatic events in the workplaces are included in a new diagnostic category, “Trauma and Stress-related Disorders”, which includes both Adjustment Disorders (Ads) and PTSD. Adjustment disorder is a common diagnosis in psychiatric settings and carries a significant rate of morbidity. Nevertheless, until now, despite its relative frequency, adjustment disorder has been poorly covered in the literature; this diagnostic category has been the subject of criticism. Occupational Health Surveillance could reduce the misdiagnosis of AD and, simultaneously, improve the research on “workrelated stress disorders”.

Hempson Industries UK Ltd.. A case study in occupational health services--the solution.

In the February 1996 issue of Occupational Medicine, we published a case study in which the Chief Medical Officer of Hempson Industries, Steve Saunders, had just returned from a European conference where he delivered a well-received keynote presentation on work-related stress disorders. He was delighted with this success and his more general success in establishing a professional and proactive occupational health service during his two years with Hempson Industries. His delight, however, was undermined by his receipt of an internal memorandum from the newly appointed Director of Finance and Administration, Richard Coleman. The letter cited Board colleagues' criticisms of the contribution of OHS to company results, the expense of some services like health screening and recruitment medicals and the seemingly slow and unresponsive behaviour of most OHS staff. It also proposed the out-sourcing of occupational health to Boone Occupational Health Care Inc., an American private occupational health service. We invited readers to reply to the case study, explaining what they would do in Steve's situation. Out of a number replies, four were selected for publication and follow. The author author of the case study, Greg Shaffer, then provides some final comments.