Emotion Regulation in Rescue Workers: Differential Relationship With Perceived Work-Related Stress and Stress-Related Symptoms

Introduction: Among Hungary’s health sector workers the presence of a high level of stress is known, which can affect the individual. Aim: The aim of the authors was to uncover major risk factors causing work-related stress, as well as its extent, and positive and negative coping strategies among ground and aerial rescue workers. Method: From June until October 2015, a national survey was conducted among Hungarian rescue workers. An own questionnaire and Rahe Stress and coping validated short questionnaire online form were used. A total of 141 persons took part in the survey. Results: As compared to air-ambulance workers, ground rescue workers were exposed to higher work-related stress effects (p<0.01), resulting in a much larger variety of physical and psychological symptoms (p<0.05). Based on Global Stress and Coping Index effective coping mechanisms were observed among air rescue workers (p<0.01). Conclusions: It is important to perform regular professional theoretical and practical training. Human resource management should pay attention on occupational stress reduction. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(45), 1802–1808.

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Professional training in mental health self-care for nurses starting work in hospital departments

Work ◽

10.3233/wor-203311 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 583-590

Author(s):

Monika Bernburg ◽

David Groneberg ◽

Stefanie Mache

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Professional Training ◽

Self Care ◽

Control Group ◽

Work Related Stress ◽

Stress Management Training ◽

Work Related ◽

Related Stress

BACKGROUND: Nurses working in hospitals can suffer from occupational stress due to high workloads and low job and/or personal resources. This can lead to work-related stress, exhaustion, health problems, and low quality of care. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of work-related self-care skill training for nurses. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted with 94 nurses in hospital departments in Germany. Nurses were either assigned to the intervention group that received competence training or to a waitlist control group. The intervention took place in groups over a period of 12 weeks. Training content included i.e. work-related stress management training, problem-solving techniques, and solution-focused counselling. The outcomes studied were changes in work-related stress, emotional exhaustion, emotion regulation, and job satisfaction. Three follow-up assessments were arranged. RESULTS: Nurses in the IG achieved a decrease in perceived job stress and emotional exhaustion as well as improvements with regard to enhanced emotion regulation skills. The intervention was evaluated with high satisfaction scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed first indications that training of mental health self-care skills for junior nurses could be a supportive approach for nurses starting work in hospital departments. However, replication studies are needed to verify the results.

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Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Work-Related Stress among Rescue Workers in Traumatic Mass-Casualty Disasters

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168340 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8340

Author(s):

Yu-Long Chen ◽

Wen-Chii Tzeng ◽

En Chao ◽

Hui-Hsun Chiang

Keyword(s):

Mass Casualty ◽

Work Related Stress ◽

Rescue Workers ◽

Work Related ◽

Modified Delphi ◽

Delphi Approach ◽

Mass Casualty Events ◽

Sequential Mixed Methods ◽

Related Stress ◽

Development And Validation

Rescue workers are a population at high-risk for mental problems as they are exposed to work-related stress from confrontation with traumatic events when responding to a disaster. A reliable measure is needed to assess rescue workers’ work-related stress from their surveillance of a disaster scene to help prevent severe PTSD and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Work-Related Stress Scale (WRSS) designed to measure stress in rescue workers after responding to traumatic mass-casualty events. An exploratory sequential mixed methods procedure was employed. The qualitative phase of the item generation component involved in-depth interviews of 7 experienced rescue workers from multiple specialties who had taken part in 1 or 2 mass-casualty events: the 2018 Hualien earthquake or the 2016 Tainan earthquake. In the quantitative phase, a modified Delphi approach was used to achieve consensus ratings by the same 7 raters on the items and to assess content validity. Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis using a broader sample of 293 rescue workers who had taken part in 1 of 2 mass-casualty events: the 2018 Hualien earthquake or the 2021 Hualien train derailment. The final WRSS consists of 16 items total and 4 subscales: Physical Demands, Psychological Response, Environmental Interruption, and Leadership, with aggregated alphas of 0.74–0.88. The WRSS was found to have psychometric integrity as a measure of stress in rescue workers after responding to a disaster.

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