Occupational stress(ors)
8 important questions on Occupational stress(ors)
What are potential benefits of being employed?
- Social group / belonging
- Daily structure
- Sense of accomplishment
- Learning / development
- Purpose in life
What are early symptoms of occupational stress?
e.g. ↑ bloodpressure, headaches, muscles aches & pains,
stomach problems, sleep disturbances
• psychological:
e.g. anxiety, worrying, irritation, anger, ↓ concentration
• behavioural:
e.g. unhealthy lifestyles, errors, (near)accidents
What are long-term consequences of occupational stress?
e.g. high blood pressure, musculoskeletal disorders,
cardiovascular disease
• psychological:
e.g. concentration problems, depression, burnout
• behavioural:
e.g. absenteeism, turnover, alcohol abuse
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What are the three development of burnout? (Maslach, 1993)
a.o. irritation, anxiety, forgetfulness, problems concentrating, sleep problems, heart palpitations, headache
2. (see this with some people, not every one) Depersonalisation (energy conservation):
a.o. cynical, detached and non-involved attitude towards work and people one is working with
3. Reduced personal accomplishment (exhaustion)
a.o. chronic mental exhaustion, chronic physical exhaustion, chronic headache, gastro-intestinal complaints, social isolation, loss of self-confidence
Which occupations show higher risks for burnout?
- teaching (20% emotionally exhausted) (van Zwieten et al., 2014)
What are the negative consequences of occupational stress?
• physical complaints / illness
• psychological complaints
• unhealthy lifestyles
- Employer / organization • turnover
• absenteeism / disablement
• lower performance / productivity / product quality • counterproductive behaviours
• accidents
- Society
• costs of absenteeism
• disability benefits
What are the factors in the "stress" response?
- The level of stressors (intensity)
- The extent of time of exposure to stressors
- Recurrence of exposures
- Age older and younger people more vulnerable
- Gender
- Physical health status at exposure
- Psychological status at exposure
- Coping mechanisms available and used
What is the difference acute vs. Chronic stress?
Sudden, typically short-lived, threatening event (e.g.,
giving a speech, being in a conflict situation)
- Chronic stress
Ongoing environmental demand (e.g., marital conflict, various work stressors)
• Anticipatory activation
• Prolonged activation
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