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Minor psychiatric disorder in NHS trust staff: Occupational and gender differences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

T.D. Wall ,
R.I. Bolden ,
C.S. Borrill ,
A.J. Carter ,
D.A. Golya ,
G.E. Hardy ,
C.E. Haynes ,
J.E. Rick ,
D.A. Shapiro  and
M.A. West
T.D. Wall*
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
R.I. Bolden
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
C.S. Borrill
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
A.J. Carter
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
D.A. Golya
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
G.E. Hardy
Affiliation:
Psychological Therapies Research Centre, University of Leeds, Leeds
C.E. Haynes
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
J.E. Rick
Affiliation:
Institute for Employment Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton
D.A. Shapiro
Affiliation:
Psychological Therapies Research Centre, University of Leeds, Leeds
M.A. West
Affiliation:
Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
*
Professor Toby D. Wall, Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN
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Abstract

Background

It is widely suggested that many National Health Service (NHS) workers experience high levels of minor psychiatric disorder. However, inadequacies of sampling and measurement in studies to date have not allowed this suggestion to be properly evaluated.

Method

The present study was designed to overcome these methodological weaknesses by using a sample of over 11 000 employees from 19 NHS trusts and a well-established measure of minor psychiatric disorder for which there are comparative data.

Results

The findings show that 26.8% of the health service workers reported significant levels of minor psychiatric disorder, compared with 17.8% of people in the general population. Psychiatric morbidity was highest among managers, doctors, nurses and professions allied to medicine, with each of these groups recording higher rates than their professional counterparts outside the health service. It was lower among those in support occupations, such as administrative and ancillary staff. A feature of the findings was that female doctors and managers showed a much higher prevalence of minor psychiatric disorder than their male colleagues.

Conclusion

Studies are required to establish the organisational, occupational and individual determinants of minor psychiatric disorder among NHS employees.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 6 , December 1997 , pp. 519 - 523
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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