Workplace Stressors of Deaf and Hearing Workers

The occurrence of stress in the workplace is frequent and present in all areas of work. Population deaf workers are at some risk when it comes to the impact of stress in the workplace. The research aims is to determine factors that directly cause stress in the working environment deaf and hearing workers. The sample consisted of 30 deaf workers and 33 hearing workers. For the needs of the research, the measuring instrument of the International labor organizations was used (2003). Research results show that isolated stressors factors are more common in a subsample of deaf subjects. Fear of losing a job, fatigue and short deadlines, lack of support from colleagues and managers, constant change of obligations, feeling insecurities, fear of position in the firm, and communication difficulties are isolated causes of stress in deaf workers. Workflow errors are associated with a feeling of fear and insecurity, they appear due to their insufficient information due to communication difficulties.

The influence of workplace stress and coping on depressive symptoms among registered nurses in Bangladesh

Background: Nurses report high levels of workplace stress, which has been linked to an increased risk for experiencing depressive symptoms.Nurses’ workplace stress is also linked to increased absenteeism and decreased job satisfaction. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine: (1) the incidence of depressive symptoms among hospital-based registered nurses in Bangladesh; (2) common sources of workplace stress and their relationships to individual characteristics and depressive symptom scores; and (3) the potential mediating roles of coping strategies in the relationship between workplace stress and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study design involved three hundred and fifty-two registered nurses. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and three standardized tools measuring sources of nurses’ workplace stress, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms. Results: More than half of the participants scored ≥ 16 on the CES-D, which was associated with a major depression episode. Total NSS scores had a small but significant influence on scores on the depression scale. Coping strategies had no mediated effect on the relationship between workplace stress and scores on the depression scale. Low-reliability coefficients for subscales of two of the standardized tools highlight the challenge for researchers in developing countries to address contextual differences that may influence the meanings attached to individual items. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the mental health of registered nurses in Bangladesh requires immediate attention in part by attending to workplace stressors. Further research should focus on a deeper understanding of Bangladeshi registered nurses’ work experiences and the unique contribution that workplace stressors have on their physical and mental health.

Application of Biomechanics Instrumentation in Occupational Health Research

Occupational morbidities during manual material handling operations are routine at workplaces. This is a global burden contributing substantially to the economy. The multifactorial etiology for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) along with workplace stressors require multidisciplinary preventive effort. Biomechanics plays a pivotal role in occupational health research quarrying into the root cause analysis of posture, load handling, muscular loading, balance, and stability at work. Sophisticated instrumentation and experimental techniques assist in understanding the biomechanical mechanisms of MSDs and ergonomic principles, etc. Kinetic, kinematic, isotonic, isokinetic, as well as isometric experimental modes investigate body postures and muscular responses. Foundation of biomechanics instrumentation and injury mechanism would aid researchers alongside ergonomists in dealing with identification, assessment, and control of workplace risks through participatory ergonomics approach. Judicious utilization of this discipline would approach a long-term sustainable solution to protect health and safety of workers at the workplace.

Is abusive supervision always harmful toward creativity? Managing workplace stressors by promoting distributive and procedural justice

Purpose This paper aims to answer the question of how, why and when abusive supervision affects employee creativity. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, this paper examines the direct and indirect (via psychological distress) effects of abusive supervision on employee creativity. It further investigates the boundary conditions imposed by employees’ perceived distributive and procedural justice in the relationships between abusive supervision, psychological distress and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach The study uses multi-sourced and time-lagged data collected in three waves from a survey of employees-supervisor dyads working in the Chinese manufacturing sector. In the first wave, the authors received data from 347 employees on perceived abusive supervision and perceived distributive and procedural justice. In the second wave, 320 employees shared their perceptions of psychological distress at work. In the third wave, the authors received ratings for employee creativity from the direct supervisors of 300 employees. The data were analyzed using bootstrapped moderated mediation procedures. Findings The findings revealed a significant negative influence of abusive supervision on employee creativity both directly and indirectly in the presence of perceived psychological distress. However, distributive and procedural justice was found to mitigate the negative impact of abusive supervision on employee creativity. Practical implications Abusive supervision has adverse consequences for employees’ creativity because it affects their psychological health. HR and top management should prioritize addressing abusive supervision first and foremost to boost employee creativity in the workplace. Managers should give employees opportunities for participation and foster a climate of fairness in the organization to mitigate the harmful consequences of abusive supervision. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study that examines the psychological distress-based mechanism in the relationship between abusive supervision and creativity while considering the interactive effects of distributive and procedural justice. It addresses an important research gap in the literature by proposing that organizational perceived distributive and procedural justice can mitigate the detrimental effects of abusive supervision.

Apprentices’ healthy coping strategies and attitudes to using a smartphone app to support their mental health (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Apprenticeships are a common pathway for young people transitioning into the workforce. Apprentices often face many employment-related challenges and have high levels of psychological distress and are at risk of mental health problems. However, they tend to have low engagement in digital mental health interventions, which are often not catered to their interests and needs. OBJECTIVE This study explored healthy coping strategies used by apprentices and their preferences for an app to support their mental wellbeing. METHODS A mixed methods study was conducted with 54 apprentices (92.6% male) with a mean age 22.7 years (SD=5.7). Across eight focus groups, participants were asked to describe healthy strategies they used to cope with occupational stressors. They also completed a survey on preferred ways of using an app to support mental health. RESULTS Four major types of coping behaviours were identified: 1) social connection for disclosure and advice, and socialising; 2) pleasurable activities such as engaging in hobbies, time-out, and developing work-life separation; 3) cognitive approaches including de-fusing from thoughts and cognitive reframing; and 4) self-care approaches including exercise, healthy diet and getting adequate sleep. Only 10% of participants currently used a mental health app, but there was high interest in using an app to support friends (88%) and develop self-help strategies to manage or prevent mental health issues (78%). CONCLUSIONS Apprentices utilised a range of healthy behaviours to cope with workplace stressors and were willing to use a smartphone app to support their mental health. However, many of the preferred coping strategies identified are not those focussed on by current mental health interventions, including currently available apps, indicating the need for more targeted digital interventions for this group.

Gender Differences in the Work and Home Spheres for Teachers, and Longitudinal Associations with Depressive Symptoms in a Swedish Cohort

The high level of stress among teachers is a frequently reported problem globally but less is known about how demands and resources among teachers affect depressive symptoms, and to what extent gender differences in these conditions can explain potential differences in depressive symptoms. The present study investigated gender differences in teachers’ self-reported depressive symptoms, and differences in their demands and resources in both work and home spheres. Associations between demands and resources, respectively, and depressive symptoms as well as gender differences in these associations were examined. Results from univariate and parallel growth modelling (N = 1,022), using data from six time points (2008 to 2018), found higher levels of depressive symptoms, higher emotional and quantitative work demands, and more time doing unpaid work among female teachers, whereas male teachers reported more time on leisure activities. Emotional and quantitative work demands were associated with depressive symptoms at baseline, and these associations also developed in parallel over time. Leisure time had a negative association with depressive symptoms at baseline. There were no gender differences in the strength of these associations. Findings suggest that gender differences in teachers’ depressive symptoms could be attributable to women’s greater demands in the work sphere and fewer resources in the home sphere than men as opposed to their being more vulnerable to workplace stressors.

COVID-19 Mental Health Stressors of Health Care Providers in the Pandemic Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment Response (PACER) Intervention (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Since the pandemic, more Canadians have reported poorer mental health. A vital group experiencing high level of stressors are health care providers (HCPs) caring for COVID-19 patients, carrying out public health responses, or working with vulnerable populations. The mental health of HCPs are negatively affected by the pandemic, not only at work but also at home and in the community. Intersecting stressors at multiple levels contribute to HCPs’ experiences of fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the pandemic stressors experienced by HCPs at work, at home and in the community before participating in the Pandemic Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment Response (PACER) online intervention. METHODS Informed by a social ecological approach, we use a qualitative reflective approach to engage 74 HCPs in diverse roles. Data were collected during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020 to February 2021) in Canada. RESULTS Informed by a social ecological framework, five overarching themes were identified in our thematic analysis: 1) personal level stressors that highlight HCPs identities and responsibilities beyond the workplace; 2) interpersonal level stressors from disrupted social relationships; 3) organizational stressors that contributed to unsettled workplaces and moral distress; 4) community and societal stressors attributed to vicarious trauma and emotional labour; and 5) the multilevel and cumulative impacts of COVID-19 stressors on HCPs’ health. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 is not merely a communicable disease but a social and political phenomenon that intensifies the effects of social inequities. Current understanding of pandemic stressors affecting HCPs is largely partial in nature. While workplace stressors of HCPs are real and intense, they need to be explored and understood in the context of stressors that exist in other domains of HCPs’ lives such as family and community to ensure these experiences are not being silenced by the ‘hero’ discourses or overshadowed by professional demands.

Occupational Stress in U.S. Audiologists

Purpose The goal of this study was to explore interview data related to occupational stress in U.S. audiologists. This study is part of a larger project: The Lived Experience of the Audiologist, which seeks to develop a richer understanding of audiologists' lived experience via interview and survey research. Method Demographic and interview data related to occupational stress were examined from 28 virtual interviews of clinical audiologists in the United States. Qualitative data relative to workplace stressors were subjected to thematic analysis. Stress ratings were examined via descriptive statistics, correlation, and comparison with demographics. Results Self-ratings of average-day and worst-day stress were not related to work setting, years of experience, or U.S. region. Participant descriptions of workplace stressors yielded seven main themes: time, patients, administration, financial, lack of support, colleagues, and work–life balance. Some participants attributed stress response to personality traits. Conclusions Audiologists' quotes illustrate the human impact of stressors in the workplace. The most commonly reported workplace stressors were lack of time, patient-related issues, administration, and financial issues. Time and administration as common causes of stress were consistent with prior studies conducted in other countries; however, patient-related and financial stressors were more prominent stressors for U.S. audiologists. Stress ratings were not related to work setting, location, or years of experience in the current study. Participants often linked their perception of stress to personality traits, a phenomenon that has been explored as a factor in the exploration of occupational stress in other fields, but not in audiology. Future research in stress and burnout should examine personality traits in addition to extensive demographics.