The purpose of this study is to examine the national impact of workplace factors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on mental health experienced by non-physician healthcare workers (HCWs).

This study consisted of an online sample of non-physician HCWs across the United States, including nurses, medical assistants, and physician assistants. The survey consisted of 93 questions, which included the Perceived Stress Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CESD-10) scale, questions about COVID-19 vaccination, sources of trusted information, and questions about work environment and training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate associations.

In the final sample (N = 220), (81.8%) reported receiving at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. Most respondents trusted the CDC’s information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease. Several workplace-related factors that occurred during the pandemic were associated with moderate to high levels of perceived stress, fatigue, and higher risk of developing depression. In particular, concerns about exposing others, experiencing discrimination related to their jobs, and caring for patients who died from COVID-19 were associated with increased perceived stress, depression, and fatigue.

The importance of planning by healthcare facilities should include planning for workplace factors associated with poor mental health among all HCWs.

Burnout is a consequence of chronic occupational stress. Specific work-related factors may contribute to burnout experienced by those working in mental health services (MHS), many of which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

To examine personal, work- and patient-related burnout among MHS staff in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic, and explore the impact of work-related conditions on burnout.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of three MHS across Ireland utilising a study-specific questionnaire, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and the Effort–Reward Imbalance scale.

Of 396 participants, 270 (70.6%) were female. Moderate and high personal burnout was experienced by 244 (64.1%) participants; work-related burnout by 231 (58.5%) participants and patient-related burnout by 83 (21.5%) participants. Risk factors for both personal and work-related burnout were female gender, urban service, time spent outside main responsibilities, overcommitment, high score on the Effort–Reward Imbalance scale and intention to change job. Being younger, with high workload and deterioration of personal mental health during the pandemic was associated with higher personal burnout, whereas a lack of opportunity to talk about work-related stress contributed to work-related burnout. Fewer factors were associated with patient-related burnout, namely overcommitment, working in urban services and poorer physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

High levels of personal and work-related burnout were found among mental health workers. The weak association with COVID-19-related factors suggest levels of burnout predated the pandemic. This has implications for MHS given the recognised additional work burden created by COVID-19.

A growing body of literature has documented that occupational stress is associated with increased risks of musculoskeletal injuries or symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of occupational stress on the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in a Tunisian footwear industry.

Material and methods: This was an exhaustive and cross-sectional study including workers in a footwear industry. Musculoskeletal symptoms were assessed using a modified Nordic questionnaire. We used the Job Demand/Control model of Karasek to measure occupational stress. The Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method was used as an ergonomic risk assessment tool. Data were analysed using R software.

A total of 337 workers participated in the survey (the age range: 18-60 years). A total of 83.7 of workers reported musculoskeletal symptoms at one site or more. Elbows and upper back were the most symptomatic sites in respectively 84% and 65%. We noted job-strain and iso-strain situations in respectively 57% and 32%. In 78.1% of the workers studied, the QEC score was high and very high in 21.9%. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model showed that iso-strain situation was associated with the number of symptomatic sites (p= 0.0003, OR=1.34), having musculoskeletal symptoms in elbows (p= 0.03, OR=2.33) and upper back (p=0.009, OR=2.40), and the final QEC score (p= 0.018, OR= 1.04).

Occupational stress constitutes a significant risk for this leather industry. It is associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the workplace and with work-related biomechanical exposure.

No significant relationships.

Over the past decades, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated the impact of the psychosocial work environment on workers’ health, safety and wellbeing. These factors may also affect employees ’job satisfaction.

To explore psychosocial determinants of job satisfaction among workers in a Tunisian electricity and gas company.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among male workers in a Tunisian electricity and gas company. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), the Job Content Questionnaire and the general health questionnaire (GHQ12) were used to assess psychosocial risk factors at work. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess correlations between instruments ’scores. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to explore the specific factors associated with job satisfaction. Data were analysed using R software.

A total of 83 workers participated in the survey (the age range: 21-60 years). Job satisfaction score varied from 0 to 100% with a mean of 73.09 %. In the PCA, job satisfaction had a positive correlation with high social support and a negative one with work-family conflicts, a high psychological demand, stress, burnout and quantitative demands. In multivariate analysis, factors negatively associated with job satisfaction were: age, stress and low social support. In contrast, seniority was positively associated with job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction is deeply influenced by the psychosocial work environment. Therefore, it is necessary to provide supervision, communication, and social support for these workers to increase or maintain a high level of job satisfaction.

No significant relationships.

Previous literature has highlighted high rates of burnout among doctors and nurses in healthcare settings. Non-clinical and support staff such as administrative, housekeeping and managerial staff are also exposed to the stressors of a health care setting, but fewer studies report on their experiences. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine occupational stress in all staff working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ireland and identify risk and protective factors.

Fifty-nine clinical and non-clinical staff (44% response rate) were surveyed. Participants completed the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and the Effort Reward Imbalance scale, as well as survey-specific questions.

Both clinical and non-clinical staff were found to experience moderate or high rates of work-related, personal and patient-related burnout (57.6%, 52.2% and 50.8%, respectively). Univariate general linear modelling showed an association between total CBI scores and effort reward index (B = 64 306, t = 3.430, p = 0.001); overcommitment (B = 1.963, t = 3.061, p = 0.003); and an unwillingness to work in CAMHS (B = 28.429, t = 3.247, p = 0.002).

Pre-pandemic levels of stress were high among clinical and non-clinical staff surveyed. Given the anticipated increased demand on CAMHS post COVID-19, urgent action is needed to protect all staff from intolerable levels of occupational stress and burnout.

Literature suggests that home care professionals could be at higher risk of burnout than their colleagues in hospital settings, but research on home-based palliative care is still limited. Our study investigates psychosocial risk factors and burnout among workers involved in palliative care, comparing inpatient hospice, and home care settings.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in a single palliative care organization providing inpatient hospice-based and home care-based assistance in a large urban area of Northern Italy. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire collecting socio-demographic and occupational data, psychosocial risk factors, and burnout scales (Psychosocial Safety Climate 4; Conflict and Offensive Behavior — COPSOQ II; Work Life Boundaries; Work-home Interaction; Peer Support — HSE; Copenhagen Burnout Inventory).

The study sample included 106 subjects (95% of the overall eligible working population) who were predominantly female (68%) and nurses (57%), with a mean age of 41 years. Compared to inpatient hospice staff, home care workers reported more frequent communications with colleagues (p = 0.03) and patients/caregivers (p = 0.01), while there were no differences in the perception of work intrusiveness. Inpatient hospice workers showed lower peer support (p = 0.08) and lower psychosocial safety climate (p = 0.001) than home care colleagues. The experience of aggressive behaviors was rare, and it was relatively more frequent among inpatient hospice workers, female workers, and health assistants. Average scores of burnout scales were similar for both groups except for caregiver-related burnout, which was higher among inpatient hospice workers compared to home care colleagues (p = 0.008). The number of subjects at risk for work-related burnout was similar for both groups.

Our study confirms the presence of psychological and physical fatigue in both home-based and inpatient hospice palliative care. Results suggest that home care assistance may not be characterized by higher psychological burden compared to inpatient hospice setting. Given the general tendency to increase home-based care in our aging population, it is essential to broaden the knowledge of psychosocial risks in this specific context to properly protect workers’ health.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people worldwide. In Spain, the first wave was especially severe.

This study aimed to identify sources and levels of distress among Spanish primary care physicians (PCPs) during the first wave of the pandemic (April 2020).

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a survey that included sociodemographic data, a description of working conditions related to distress [such as gaps in training in protective measures, cleaning, and hygiene procedures in work setting, unavailability of personal protective equipments (PPEs) and COVID-19 RT-PCR test, and lack of staff due to be infected] and a validated scale, the ‘Self-applied Acute Stress Scale’ (EASE). The survey was answered by a non-probability sampling of PCPs working in family healthcare centres from different regions of Spain. Analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed.

In all, out of 518 PCP participants, 123 (23.7%) obtained high psychological distress scores. Only half of them had received information about the appropriate use of PPE. PCP characteristics associated with higher levels of distress include female gender [1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54, 2.84]; lack of training in protective measures (1.96; 95% CI 0.94, 2.99); unavailable COVID-19 RT-PCR for health care workers after quarantine or COVID-19 treatment (−0.77 (−1.52, −0.02). Reinforcing disinfection of the work environment (P < 0.05), availability of PPEs (P < 0.05), and no healthcare professional was infected (P < 0.05) were related to the lowest distress score.

A better understanding of the sources of distress among PCPs could prevent its effect on future outbreaks.

Today, approximately one fifth of employees in the European Union works in the shift system. Insomnia is one of the most common consequences of occupational stress and shift work. Identifying factors contributing to poor sleep quality among shift workers, especially in healthcare professions, is important because insomnia increases the risks for numerous health disorders and impacts work ability.

The aim of this research was to investigate to what extend does an inability to withdraw from work influences the link between occupational stress and insomnia among shift workers. We operationalized occupational stress within the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model (ERI). An imbalance between individual effort and reward obtained at work leads to experiencing a stressful work environment.

153 shift working female nurses completed a short questionnaire about work schedule, the Effort-Reward Imbalance questionnaire with the Overcommitment (OC) scale and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). To estimate the mediating effect of OC on the association between ERI and ISI, we conducted a mediation analysis using PROCESS v3.4 macro in SPSS.

The model including ERI and OC accounted for 12.25% of the variance in ISI scores. ERI significantly predicted OC and OC significantly predicted insomnia. The direct effects of ERI on ISI remained significant after controlling for the effects of overcommitment. 35.07% of the effect of ERI on ISI was through OC.

Ability to detach from work-related thoughts during leisure time is crucial for successful recovery from occupational stress. The research is supported by a grant no. 2019/33/N/HS6/02572 from the National Science Center in Poland.

No significant relationships.

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. The main aim of this investigation is to better understand the impact of post-traumatic stress symptomatology, using a specific self-assessment questionnaire, in subjects experiencing occupational stress with the rationale to address the variegated symptoms expressed by this particular population in a post-traumatic dimensional perspective.

Authors collected socio-demographic, occupational, and clinical data. They utilized Trauma and Loss Spectrum Self Report (TALS-SR), a questionnaire investigating post-traumatic stress symptoms. The population size was 345 subjects who presented at the Occupational Health Department of a university hospital over a 3 years period (2016–2018).

Data analysis revealed 33.9% of subjects who met post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria. Gender distribution of this set was (36.4% female, 31% male). A family history or personal history of mental disorders were related to higher scores in almost all TALS-SR domains and were related, respectively, to higher scores of criterion B “intrusion symptoms” (P = .014), criterion D “negative alterations in cognitions and mood” (P = .023), and criterion E “arousal” (P = .033) of PTSD. Differences in TALS-SR scores also emerged based on age and gender.

PTSD symptoms manifest at a significant level in those who experience work-related stress. Personal background of individuals, both in terms of family and personal history for mental disorders, seems to increase their vulnerability to develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. This study suggests the importance of evaluating occupational stress from a post-traumatic stress perspective also at an early stage.

To determine the prevalence of and factors associated with depression and stress with perceived quality of life and the salivary cortisol levels in Community Health Agent (CHA).

Cross-sectional descriptive study of CHAs in Pelotas-RS, Brazil. Data collection, including sociodemographic information and factors related to work and health. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) II was used to assess depressive symptoms, Inventory of Stress Symptoms Lipp (ISSL) was used for the analysis of stress and the WHOQOL-BREF was used to investigate quality of life. Salivary cortisol was quantified via ELISA test.

The assessments showed that 71.0% are in a state of stress resistance, 30.5% were in the alert state of stress and 32.8% were in the stress state of exhaustion. Depressive episodes (BDI≥12) were observed in 28.2%. The environmental domain had the lowest score for quality of life. We observed significantly higher salivary cortisol levels in CHAs with less than 1 year of service and with the lowest quality of life scores in the environmental subsection.

A high prevalence of stress and depression was observed in this sample of CHAs. In addition, the worst levels of quality of life were identified in the environmental subsection. Cortisol levels corroborate these findings regarding quality of life within the environmental domain and began working less than a year previously.

The emergency telephone number 9-1-1 serves as a lifeline to the public during emergencies, and first responders rely on information gathered by 9-1-1 telecommunicators who speak with callers. Timely, accurate information from the telecommunicators is essential for providing appropriate care on scene. Language barriers can hamper these efforts and result in less efficient information exchange. Although 9-1-1 telecommunicators may access over-the-phone interpreter (OPI) services to facilitate communication, managing three-way communication during an emergency is challenging.

There is little published on the relationship between limited English proficient (LEP) callers and 9-1-1 police telecommunicators, and the role of OPI services during these calls. Further, little is known about effective strategies to manage such calls.

In King County, Washington, 9-1-1 police telecommunicators were surveyed about their experiences handling LEP calls and managing three-way communication with OPI services. The survey contained 13 multiple-choice and three open-response questions addressing communication strategies, challenges with LEP callers, and three-way communication with OPI services. Goodman-Kruskal Gamma and chi-square tests were conducted with OPI use as the dependent variable. Additional analyses were conducted using stress levels as the dependent variable.

Of 123 respondents, 69 (56.5%) 9-1-1 telecommunicators reported utilizing OPI services at least 75% of the time when receiving a call from an LEP caller. Further, 35 (28.7%) of these telecommunicators reported calls with LEP individuals as more stressful than calls with fluent English speakers. Dispatcher stress level during LEP calls compared with stress during calls with fluent English speakers was positively associated with use of OPI services (P < .01). Further, stress level was also positively associated with telecommunicator difficulties in assessing the situation with respect to officer safety (P < .01). Sixty-three (58.3%) of the telecommunicators described difficulties assessing the situation to determine the appropriate response as the biggest challenge with LEP callers. Additionally, 62 (53%) identified knowing their location in English as information LEP callers need to know prior to calling 9-1-1.

These results highlight intervention opportunities for both 9-1-1 telecommunicators and LEP communities. Together, interventions such as working with LEP communities to educate them on best communication practices during 9-1-1 calls, and with 9-1-1 telecommunicators to help them manage three-way communication and reduce stress associated with concern for officer safety may improve emergency communication during 9-1-1 calls.

CarrollLN, CalhounRE, SubidoCC, PainterIS, MeischkeHW. Serving Limited English Proficient Callers: A Survey of 9-1-1 Police Telecommunicators. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(3):1-6.