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BackgroundIn Tunisia, during the last decade, the number of MSDs declared as compensable occupational diseases has been increasing. So, what is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the MSD reporting rate.ObjectivesTo describe the socio-professional characteristics of workers with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and to determine the reporting rate of MSDs as occupational diseases.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study among workers with work-related MSDs who consulted the occupational medicine department of the Charles Nicolle Hospital for medical advice between January 2021 and September 2022.ResultsA total of 109 workers with MSDs were included in this study. The workers were 64.2% female. The average age was 46 ± [21-61 years]. The sectors most prone to MSDs were the health sector (27.5%), food processing (16.5%) and textiles (15.6%). The workers reported MSDs of the upper limb in 31.2%, MSDs of the lower limb in 33.9% and of the spine in 69.7%. These MSDs reported included 5/13 cases of rotator cuff tendinopathy, 6/13 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, one case of achilles tendonitis and one case of Dequervain's tenosynovitis.ConclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the reporting of MSDs as occupational diseases has declined considerably. This decline can be explained by the difficult access to hospital facilities.References[1]https://www.emro.who.int/emhj-volume-23-2017/volume-23-issue-11/prevalence-et-determinants-des-troubles-musculo-squelettiques-des-membres-superieurs-chez-les-artisans-tunisiens.html.[2]http://medecinetravail.canalblog.com/archives/2011/10/04/22196851.htmlAcknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
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BackgroundA Fatigue and Activity Management Education in Work (FAME-W) programme was developed for individuals with inflammatory arthritis to manage fatigue in work (McCormick, 2018). FAME-W was designed as an in-person programme;however, due to COVID-19 pandemic it was modified to be an online group-based self-management intervention.ObjectivesThis study tested the effectiveness of an online format of FAME-W for future use by occupational therapist to help individuals with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work.MethodsParticipants were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention group received the online four-week FAME-W and the control group participants received a FAME-W handbook. Participants in the intervention group attended a focus group immediately after the completion of the online FAME-W programme. A qualitative descriptive design was used with semi-structured focus groups. Data were analysed by thematic analysis (Braun and Clark, 2021).ResultsTwenty-six individuals took part in five separate focus groups. The average number of participants per group was 5 individuals with the largest group having 8 and smallest having 3 participants. The majority of participants were female, working full time and had Rheumatoid Arthritis. The four themes emerging from the focus groups were: "content and delivery of the programme” where participants discussed the relevance of the content to their symptoms and the online delivery format of FAME-W. In the second theme, participants discussed "understanding the effects of symptoms on their own and combined” and how symptoms effect mood, work, cognitive and physical abilities. In the third theme, "implementing the knowledge gained from the programme” through goal setting and practicality of the self-management strategies provided were discussed. Final theme "impact of the FAME-W on symptoms and work” including reassurance of normalising symptoms, change in mindset and approach to their condition were discussed.Table 1.ThemesQuotesContent and delivery of the programme"Each of the four sections were all very relevant” "I am quite happy that it is online because face to face would depend on location if I had the choice”Understanding the effects of symptoms on their own and combined"Now I know that I can sleep better when I manage my pain, and I can manage my pain by managing fatigue” "When you have a long-term illness, you don't look at the symptoms individually, you need to break it and look at it individually to know how to manage it”Implementing the knowledge gained from the programme"I'm in a different place today than I was four weeks ago. I am doing well now. So, for me the goal setting is excellent” "Helps you implement the knowledge into your regular routine and check in with yourself”Impact of the FAME-W on symptoms and work"Just a lightbulb moment to say, great, this is not my fault, because you can blame yourself for all the symptoms”ConclusionPreliminary results show that participants found the online FAME-W to be effective, relevant, reassuring, and helpful. These results suggest that work-related self-management skills are essential in assisting participants with symptom management in the workplace. Furthermore, these preliminary results suggest that the online format of FAME-W may be helpful for individuals with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work and it may become a standard part of clinical care for occupational therapists.References[1] McCormack, RC, O'Shea, F, Doran, M, Connolly, D. Impact of a fatigue management in work programme on meeting work demands of individuals with rheumatic diseases: A pilot study. Musculoskeletal Care. 2018;16: 398– 404.[2] Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
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BackgroundEducation and employment established in young adulthood predict future lifetime socioeconomic achievements. Young adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) have physical, cognitive and mental health issues and other comorbidities that may impact employment.ObjectivesTo understand the lived experiences of young adults with SLE (YASLE), as students, and to assess their perceived barriers from SLE.MethodsYASLE were recruited from two Lupus clinics in Toronto and Winnipeg. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted individually via secure video conferencing. As this study was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, participants were also asked about the pandemic impacts on their education experiences. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, double-coded and analysed using a reflexive thematic approach.ResultsTwelve participants (2 males), 9 of childhood- and 3 adult-onset SLE (cSLE, aSLE) were interviewed. Nine participants (82%) were <25 years old. Five also worked while studying. Five were Asians, 5 were White, 2 of other ethnicities. Half have severe disease (central nervous system or renal involvement). Median duration of disease was 4.0 (25th-75th percentile, 1.8- 5.3) years. The impacts of SLE on their education experience emerged in 5 themes:1) Challenges imposed by SLE: Difficulties adjusting to the diagnosis, physical and cognitive symptoms of SLE. While most participants disclosed their diagnosis to their schools, some expressed hesitation.2) Changes in aspirations: Education/career goals were modified by reducing course load or shifting to more sedentary or less cognitively demanding careers.3) Coping and acceptance: More adaptive than maladaptive coping strategies were used to manage their SLE, including self-acceptance, pacing, planning and avoidance. All strived to do well in their studies despite SLE and were hopeful for their futures.4) Facilitating factors for education success: Family and friends' social support, individualized accommodations from school and parental financial support were identified.5) Pandemic impacts: Virtual learning and flexible schedules enabled participants to adapt their schedules according to their physical conditions (e.g. pain, fatigue). However, fewer opportunities to interact in-person were viewed as challenges. Participants want hybrid options to continue even after the pandemic.ConclusionSLE affected students' performance through physical symptoms, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. Ongoing social and school supports help to support them. Maintaining the remote learning options may increase accessibility for them. These results identified opportunities for developing future supportive interventions for YASLE patients in their schooling which then better prepare them for future employment.References[1]Jetha A, Badley E, Beaton D, Fortin PR, Shiff NJ, Gignac MA. Unpacking early work experiences of young adults with rheumatic disease: an examination of absenteeism, job disruptions, and productivity loss. Arthritis care & research. 2015;67:1246-54.[2]E. F Lawson, A. O. Hersh, L. Trupin, E. von Scheven, M. J. Okumura, J. Yazdany, et al. Educational and vocational outcomes of adults with childhood and adult onset systemic lupus erythematosus: nine years of follow-up. Arthritis Care Res 2014;66: 717-24.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsMike Golding: None declared, Fareha Nishat: None declared, Kaitlyn Merrill: None declared, Ramandeep Kaur: None declared, Jennifer Stinson: None declared, Jennifer Protudjer Speakers bureau: Nutricia (Food allergy university, Nov 2022), Consultant of: Novartis 2021, allergy products, Roberta Woodgate: None declared, Christine Peschken: None declared, Diane Lacaille: None declared, Umut Oguzoglo: None declared, Zahi Touma: None declared, Lily Lim Speakers bureau: Pfizer Feb 2023. Not drug related and not related to this .
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Building on the mutual-gains perspective, the present chapter aimed to contribute to the discussion on the future way of (hybrid) working by drawing lessons from employees' experiences with leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, we investigated the mediating role of work-related flow in the relationships between empowering and directive leadership behaviours, on the one hand, and innovative work-behaviour and work-family balance, on the other. We employed Partial Least squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the perceptions, experiences, and behaviours of a group of employees (N = 172) regarding the study's core variables during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (Summer 2020, Autumn 2020 and Winter 2021). Our findings show that work-related flow mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and innovative work-behaviour positively and the relationship between directive leadership and innovative behaviour negatively. However, we found no significant evidence for work-related flow mediating the relationship between leadership behaviour and work-family balance. Additionally, this chapter provides guidance for leaders leading a hybrid workforce. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.
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Introduction: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic teaching was changed several times to distance learning. To consider the associated stresses and challenges for teachers a nationwide cross-sectional study was performed in March 2021 in which N = 31,089 teachers from Germany participated. Methods: A multiple linear regression model with stepwise inclusion of thematically sorted variables (sociodemographic, SARS-CoV-2- and work-related variables) was used to identify relevant predictors of job satisfaction. Results: The analysis revealed that work-related variables were significant predictors of job satisfaction. In the third regression model, when all variables are included the adjusted R2 was 0.364. Overall, the results showed that, e.g., work predictability (b = 0.097), influence at work (b = 0.118), and meaning of work (b = 0.212) increased job satisfaction. In contrast, increased emotional exhaustion (b = -0.016), feelings of unfair treatment (b = -0.048), and work family conflicts (b = -0.154) deteriorated job satisfaction. Discussion: The results indicate that future research should focus especially the work-related topics in more detail and that job satisfaction is a useful concept for analyzing working conditions from a public health point of view.
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BACKGROUND: Nurses and social workers are two common professions with a university degree working within municipal nursing care and social welfare. Both groups have high turnover intention rates, and there is a need to better understand their quality of working life and turnover intentions in general and more specifically during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study investigated associations between working life, coping strategies and turnover intentions of staff with a university degree working within municipal care and social welfare during the Covid-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional design; 207 staff completed questionnaires and data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Turnover intentions were common. For registered nurses 23% thought of leaving the workplace and 14% the profession 'rather often' and 'very often/always'. The corresponding figures for social workers were 22% (workplace) and 22% (profession). Working life variables explained 34-36% of the variance in turnover intentions. Significant variables in the multiple linear regression models were work-related stress, home-work interface and job-career satisfaction (both for the outcome turnover intentions profession and workplace) and Covid-19 exposure/patients (turnover intentions profession). For the chosen coping strategies, 'exercise', 'recreation and relaxation' and 'improving skills', the results (associations with turnover) were non-significant. However, comparing the groups social workers reported that they used 'recreation and relaxation' more often than were reported by registered nurses. CONCLUSIONS: More work-related stress, worse home-work interface and less job-career satisfaction together with Covid-19 exposure/patients (Covid-19 only for turnover profession) increase turnover intentions. Recommendations are that managers should strive for better home-work interface and job-career satisfaction, monitor and counteract work-related stress to prevent turnover intentions.
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Introduction: COVID-19 outbreak created enormous turmoil all over the world. The health sectors were overburdened with critically ill COVID-19 patients. The load on the health sector burdened and fatigued the health care workers especially the nursing personnel as they were in direct contact with the symptomatic patients predominantly. In each wave, the patients' number surged and overwhelmed the health sectors. In this study, the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) discomfort and mental exhaustion among the nursing personnel were assessed. Methods: The duration of the study was from the end of September 2021 to March 2022. The factors that sourced the discomfort symptoms amidst and the interludes of the later waves of COVID-19 and their interrelations were also assessed here. The Modified Nordic Questionnaire and the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) were used in this study. Results: 73.9% of subjects (N=88) reported the presence of WMSDs symptoms in at least one body region in the last one-year time period with the most prevalent discomfort in the lower back region (42%), followed by discomforts in the ankles, neck, and knee. The mean value of the total score of CSS was 33.74(±19.90) with high mean values in compulsive checking, danger, and contamination subscales. This study showed significant positive correlations between the presence of WMSD symptoms with BMI (rs=0.266, p= 0.012) and CSS total scores (rs=0.216, p=0.043). Conclusion: Large percentages of reports on musculoskeletal discomforts with reports on mental enervation related to COVID-19 indicated weariness of the nursing personnel. The physical exhaustion due to overloading work and the interplay between mental stress and WMSDs revealed pivotal issues of concern. © 2023 The Author(s).
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BACKGROUND: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the course of self-reported mental distress and quality of life (QoL) of physicians, working in the outpatient care (POC). Outcomes were compared with a control group of physicians working in the inpatient care (PIC), throughout the Corona Virus Disease (COVID)-19 pandemic. The impact of risk and protective factors in terms of emotional and supportive human relations on mental distress and perceived QoL of POC were of primary interest. METHODS: Within the largest prospective, multi-center survey on mental health of health care workers (HCW), conducted during the first (T1) and second (T2) wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, we investigated the course of current burden (CB), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2) and QoL, cross-sectionally, in n = 848 POC (T1: n = 536, T2: n = 312). The primary outcomes were compared with an age- and gender-matchted control group of n = 458 PIC (T1: n = 262, T2: n = 196). COVID-19-, work-related, social risk and protective factors were examined. RESULTS: At T1, POC showed no significant differences with respect to CB, depression, anxiety, and QoL, after Bonferroni correction. Whereas at T2, POC exhibited higher scores of CB (Cohen´s d/ Cd = .934, p < .001), depression (Cd = 1.648, p < 001), anxiety (Cd = 1.745, p < .001), work-family conflict (Cd = 4.170, p < .001) and lower QoL (Cd = .891, p = .002) compared with PIC. Nearly all assessed parameters of burden increased from T1 to T2 within the cohort of POC (e.g. depression: CD = 1.580, p < .001). Risk factors for mental distress of POC throughout the pandemic were: increased work-family conflict (CB: ß = .254, p < .001, 95% CI: .23, .28; PHQ-2: ß = .139, p = .011, 95% CI: .09, .19; GAD-2: ß = .207, p < .001, 95% CI: .16, .26), worrying about the patients´ security (CB: ß = .144, p = .007, 95% CI: .07, .22; PHQ-2: ß = .150, p = .006, 95% CI: .00, .30), fear of triage situations (GAD-2: ß = .132, p = .010, 95% CI: -.04, .31) and burden through restricted social contact in spare time (CB: ß = .146, p = .003, 95% CI: .07, .22; PHQ-2: ß = .187, p < .001, 95% CI: .03, .34; GAD-2: ß = .156, p = .003, 95% CI: -.01, .32). Protective factors for mental distress and QoL were the perceived protection by local authorities (CB: ß = -.302, p < .001, 95% CI: -.39, -.22; PHQ-2: ß = -.190, p < . 001, 95% CI: -.36, -.02; GAD-2: ß = -.211, p < .001, 95% CI: -.40, -.03; QoL: ß = .273, p < .001, 95% CI: .18, .36), trust in colleagues (PHQ-2: ß = -.181, p < .001, 95% CI: -.34, -.02; GAD-2: ß = -.199, p < .001, 95% CI: -.37, -.02; QoL: ß = .124, p = .017, 95% CI: .04, .21) and social support (PHQ-2: ß = -.180, p < .001, 95% CI: -.22, -.14; GAD-2: ß = -.127, p = .014, 95% CI: -.17, -.08; QoL: ß = .211, p < .001, 95% CI: .19, .23). CONCLUSIONS: During the pandemic, the protective role of emotional and supportive human relations on the mental distress and quality of life of POC should be taken into account more thoroughly, both in practice and future research.
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COVID-19 , Physicians , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , Quality of Life , Prospective Studies , COVID-19/epidemiology , Anxiety/epidemiology , Ambulatory Care , Depression/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Work-related stress has long been recognized as an essential factor affecting employees' health and wellbeing. Repeated exposure to acute occupational stressors puts workers at high risk for depression, obesity, hypertension, and early death. Assessment of the effects of acute stress on workers' wellbeing usually relies on subjective self-reports, questionnaires, or measuring biometric and biochemical markers in long-cycle time intervals. This study aimed to develop and validate the use of a multiparameter wearable armband for continuous non-invasive monitoring of physiological states. Two worker populations were monitored 24 h/day: six loggers for one day and six ICU nurses working 12-hr shifts for one week. Stress responses in nurses were highly correlated with changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse transit time (PTT). A rise in the low-to high-frequency (LF/LH) ratio in HRV was also coincident with stress responses. HRV on workdays decreased compared to non-work days, and PTT also exhibited a persistent decrease reflecting increased blood pressure. Compared to loggers, nurses were involved in high-intensity work activities 45% more often but were less active on non-work days. The wearable technology was well accepted by all worker participants and yielded high signal quality, critical factors for long-term non-invasive occupational health monitoring.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, university policies and public health measures resulted in university staff facing hazardous work environments and psychological health problems. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association between sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, work-related health, effort and reward imbalance (ERI), and work ability among university staff in southern Thailand. Data were collected using stratified random sampling of 381 participants between April and September 2022. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between the variables. The majority of the participants were female (63.5%) and aged below 45 years old (52%). Nearly 70% of the participants reported the absence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), while half of them were overweight, and 54.9% had an effort–reward ratio (ERR) greater than one. Most participants reported good-to-excellent work ability (82.4%). The probability of having poor-to-moderate work ability was higher among staff working from home (adj. OR = 2.4;95% CI: 1.3, 4.6), those with NCDs (adj. OR = 3.5;95% CI: 2.0, 6.4), those who followed poor health behaviors (adj. OR = 2.6;95% CI: 1.4, 4.9), and those who had an ERR greater than one (adj. OR = 2.8;95% CI: 1.5, 5.6). In conclusion, the majority of university staff in southern Thailand had good-to-excellent work ability. Work ability was associated with the presence of NCDs, poor health behavior, working from home, and ERI. Therefore, universities should create suitable occupational health programs and resources to mitigate the negative effects of work conditions, including ERI, and promote healthy behaviors for their staff during the COVID-19 pandemic and future disasters.
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Background and objective Work-related injuries (WRIs) are a major occupational health issue among healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide. Unsafe work environments, including physical, chemical, and biological hazards, are significant contributing factors to WRIs. However, the prevalence of WRIs among HCWs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and their associated risk factors remain largely unexplored. In light of this, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of WRIs and associated risk factors among HCWs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This was an analytic cross-sectional study conducted at secondary hospitals of the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Jeddah by using a self-administered questionnaire to measure the prevalence of WRIs and their related factors. The Chi-squared test was used to compare variables. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The study involved 387 participants, of whom 283 (73.1%) were female. Most of the participants (n=226, 58.4%) agreed that personal protective equipment (PPE) was always available at their hospitals. Approximately two-thirds (n=251, 64.9%) agreed that they always used PPE. The overall prevalence of WRIs was 52%, with back injuries (32.6%), eye/mouth splashes (20.4%), and needle stick injuries (19.9%) being the most common. Years of work experience (p=0.014), type of profession (p<0.001), training in safety management (p=0.028), working hours (p=0.0001), working shifts (p=0.001), PPE availability (p=0.010), and sharp container availability (p=0.030) were significantly associated with WRIs. Conclusion This study revealed a high prevalence of WRIs among HCWs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with back injuries, eye/mouth splashes, and needle stick injuries being the most common types. The study also found that the injuries were significantly associated with the type of profession, experience, work hours, and shifts as well as the availability of safety management and equipment such as sharp containers and PPE.
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Mask detection plays a major role in the prevention and control of epidemics after the COVID-19 outbreak as it is the most practical and effective method of prevention. For the appropriate employees, a great automatic real-time face mask identification system based on deep learning can significantly lessen work-related stress. The systems for mask identification that are currently in use, however, are largely resource-intensive and do not strike a reasonable balance between speed and accuracy. In our system, the mask detector is SSD, and to extract the image's features and decrease a number of parameters, MobileNet takes the role of VGG-16. Pre-trained models from other domains are transferred to our model using transfer learning techniques. © 2023 IEEE.
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The COVID-19 pandemic is still a challenge in many countries, although life must proceed while ensuring the pandemic is managed critically. Due to the delay in producing permanent medical intervention, despite the availability of vaccines, there is still a need to depend on technology in performing several tasks. A systematic literature review that provides comprehensive evidence on technology dependence and the impact of technology on individuals during the pandemic is lacking. This study systematically reviewed scholarly works related to technology dependency from a broad view since the pandemic and mapped the research findings into a taxonomy, thus establishing the trend in technology type, major areas of technology dependency, and the impact of technology during the pandemic. The mapped taxonomy is used to expound on open challenges and recommendations. The final set from the systematic search was 76 articles. Technology might be an avenue for administering and enhancing health services, improving outreaches, and supporting curbing the spread of diseases. However, the impact of technology dependence is both positive and negative. A systematic mapping was conducted to explore the literature on the impacts of technology, where there is a need for further research. Notwithstanding the category, most of the reviewed articles emphasized the usage and impact of technology at such a time of the pandemic and provided insights on the manner of addressing them. Realistically, there has been an acceleration of digitalization trends in the present era of the COVID-19 pandemic and the possibility of rapid development of novel digital technologies. Author
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Law enforcement has been extensively documented as one of the most stressful occupations. With sudden disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, new sources of stress (e.g., negative public interaction, risk of infection) have created unprecedented challenges for law enforcement. A large body of work has shown that the stressors experienced in law enforcement are associated with PTSD, suicidal ideation, and depression at a rate higher than the general population. However, much of the current stress literature focuses on sworn officers and largely overlooks the growing non-sworn population. This represents a significant public health concern with more than 300,000 civilians working in a non-sworn position. Despite the adverse impacts of stress being well-described among sworn officers, very little is known about the levels of stress within non-sworn personnel and how they compare to sworn officers. In addition to these knowledge gaps, work-related stress has largely been measured by surveys. While surveys provide valuable insight, they are subject to recall bias. Emerging research using cortisol has shown great promise in addressing survey limitations but remains mixed as to whether biomarkers correlate with stress.To address these knowledge gaps, this study used a mixed-methods approach to characterize work-related stress across two large urban Minnesota law enforcement departments. A total of 37 interviews explored novel stressors including barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health resources;417 surveys quantified the prevalence of work-related stressors and PTSD among sworn and non-sworn personnel;38 hair samples were collected to demonstrate the possibility of analyzing cortisol among a high-stressed occupation. The prevalence of PTSD symptomology was 24% among sworn and 39% among non-sworn personnel. Results indicated that mental health stigma was a perceived barrier to seeking help. Service providers familiar with law enforcement facilitated seeking help. Non-sworn respondents had lower organizational stress than sworn personnel. Responding to the civil unrest was particularly stressful for early-career non-sworn personnel. This study demonstrated the possibility of using hair samples in studies of stress within law enforcement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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The education sector and the students are the ones who have been largely affected by the spread of the global pandemic. The sudden outbreak of the coronavirus has taken an enormous emotional and psychological toll on people. Across the world, people had to face various problems starting from very simple daily life necessities to education, work-related problems. In the domain of education, adaptability came along with a set of challenges and took some time to settle. The transition in the teaching-learning process across the world has been truly undeniable. Like all other things, even this new mode of imparting education has its own set of benefits as well as drawbacks. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a lot of research has been going on in understanding the kind of psychological impact it causes and how the students are impacted due to reshaping the teaching-learning process. As per UNESCO 2020 report, greater will be the risk of children losing out on their youth, and future due to the closure of the educational institutes. Adequate training and assessment are required for the teachers to adjust to the new technology-based learning. This article tried to analyze the transition in the teaching-learning process and its effect on students and how is it affecting their quality of life as well as we also shed some light on how it has shown some positive aspects and has proved to enrich the learning process amidst the adversities. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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Post-COVID-19 working conditions have been the primary reason behind increased stress among business owners. There is an ever-rising need for entrepreneurial work engagement in their jobs to mitigate the increased entrepreneurial work pressures caused by uncontrolled digitization, enhanced consumer power, and brutal competition. Therefore, this study intends to respond to the existing practical and empirical gaps by investigating the relationships between entrepreneurial job demands (EJD), work-related stress, entrepreneurial job resources (EJR), and entrepreneurial work engagement (WE) for their role in generating entrepreneurial success (ES), especially in the Chinese context. It also tested the mediating role of work-related stress and entrepreneurial work engagement on the relationship between job demands, job resources, and entrepreneurial success. Structured questionnaires were circulated among the targeted respondents (i.e., business owners across China) using quantitative techniques, followed by PLS-SEM for data analysis, as these are the best-suited techniques, considering the context and time constraints. The results verified the impact of job demands on work-related strain, followed by the inverse direct impact of work-related strain on entrepreneurial success. This study found the significant impact of entrepreneurial job resources on entrepreneurial work engagement, followed by the positive impact of WE on entrepreneurial success. Likewise, work engagement's mediating role was validated, while work-related strain could only negatively mediate the relationship between EJD and ES. Likewise, this study has practical and empirical implications for practitioners and researchers to be mindful of their employees' emotional states by providing sufficient resources and psychological interventions to ensure business success. © 2023 by the authors.
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Introduction: The pandemic of COVID-19 infection is the worst public health problem worldwide. Globally, most of cases are among working population. The aims of this study are to describe the situation of work-related disease in Thailand and currently implemented preventive and control measures. Method(s): The data from the Situation Awareness Team under the Department of Disease Control (DDC) were collected and analysed in September 2020. The Monitoring and Evaluation Team under DDC also conducted a rapid survey to identify any measures enterprises had implemented to protect their employees from the disease. The checklists were applied from the ILO guideline. The survey was conducted via an online questionnaire using Google Form and sent to enterprises and the network of safety officers during 13th-17th April 2020. Fisher's Exact test with p-value was used to compare the percentage of enterprises reported implementation of measures. Result(s): Until the end of September, total cumulative number of COVID-19 infection in Thailand were 3,519 cases (approximately 5.29 per 100,000 populations) and 2,445 cases (69.5%) were domestic infection. Among this group, 2,258 persons (92.4%) were working population, aged 18-60 years. 484 domestic cases (21.4%) were classified as work-related COVID-19 infection. The highest number of work-related infection (122 cases) were among workers who worked in entertainment sector. Regarding the calculation for proportions of number of work-related infection and total number of infected cases in each occupation, almost drivers got infection from their jobs. Other high risk occupations included masseurs (90.9%), flight attendants (87.5%), priests (all religions) (80.0%), and airport staff (78.6%). Regarding the rapid survey, 101 samples responded. Almost all enterprises reported having a policy and implementation of preventive and control measures. Implemented measures included health screening of their workers (97%), work arrangement, e.g., work from home (75.2%), area arrangement for work/social distancing (81.2%), ventilation improvement (59.4%), and provision of masks (100%). Conclusion(s): Most of domestic COVID-19 infection were among working age. Approximately one-fifth of them got infection from work. Occupations, especially working with or contact with foreigners and working in a high density of people, were high-risk factors. Several enterprises had implemented preventive and control measures. Prompt policy advocacy, knowledge-based recommendations and communication with target groups were essential.Copyright © 2022, Mattioli 1885. All rights reserved.
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PurposeThe current study focuses on the role of antecedents to prevent perceived job insecurity and mitigate its negative impacts on work-related well-being. The study examined variables of the resourceful environment (effective organizational communication and involvement), conserved resources (perceived employability and emotional exhaustion) and resource loss (job insecurity) by drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory for predicting the work-related well-being adding the moderating role of boundaryless career orientation.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 306 salespersons of pharmaceutical companies working in Pakistan was obtained. The hypothesized relationships were tested through structural equation modeling in SmartPLS.FindingsThe results confirmed showed that the organizational communication, employee involvement and perceived employability reduce the perceived job insecurity;however, the emotional exhaustion was positively related. It also confirmed the moderating effect of boundaryless career orientation on relationship of job insecurity and well-being.Practical implicationsTo make employees engaged, the organizations are required to involve employees by sharing knowledge, information and power to make decisions, value their opinion and ensuring the employability. Further, salespersons having a preference of a boundaryless career proved to mitigate negative impact of job insecurity on work-related well-being.Originality/valueMany empirical studies have identified that the perceived job insecurity is one of the major concerns affecting employee's well-being. However, few studies simultaneously have sought to prevent the perceived job insecurity among employees. The findings are important in developing the understanding that how salespersons perceive their capabilities and the work environment of the organization, this perception;resultantly, can influence their behaviors particularly the work engagement dimension of well-being.
ABSTRACT
Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and information and communication technologies (ICT), after-hours work-related interruptions (AHWI) occur anywhere and anytime in China. In the current study, an alternative person-environment (P-E) fit model of ICT-enabled AHWI, hereafter referred to as IAWI, that treats polychronic variables as moderated solutions are presented. A cross-sectional survey among 277 Chinese employees (average age: 32.04 years) was conducted in September 2022 and tested by PLS-structural equation modeling to validate our hypotheses. The results indicated that IAWI had a positive influence on employees' innovative job performance and in-role job performance (ß = 0.139, p < 0.05; ß = 0.200, p < 0.01; ß = 0.298, p < 0.001). Moreover, among employees with higher levels of polychronicity, the heightened effects of IAWI on innovative job performance were increased (ß = 0.112, p < 0.05). This study offers implications for employees: under IAWI situations, they could search for a person-environment (P-E) that is fit to buffer the negative aspects of IAWI, consequently increasing their innovative job performance and in-role job performance. Future research could extend beyond this framework to explore employees' IAWI and job performance balance.
Subject(s)
Communication , Job Satisfaction , Humans , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , ChinaABSTRACT
Social work is an essential workforce integral to the United States' public health infrastructure and response to COVID-19. To understand stressors among frontline social workers during COVID-19, a cross-sectional study of U.S-based social workers (N = 1,407) in health settings was collected (in June through August 2020). Differences in outcome domains (health, mental health, personal protective equipment [PPE] access, financial stress) were examined by workers' demographics and setting. Ordinal logistic, multinomial, and linear regressions were conducted. Participants reported moderate or severe physical (57.3 percent) and mental (58.3 percent) health concerns; 39.3 percent expressed PPE access concerns. Social workers of color were more likely to report significantly higher levels of concern across all domains. Those identifying as Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), multiracial, or Hispanic/Latinx were over 50 percent more likely to experience either moderate or severe physical health concerns, 60 percent more likely to report severe mental health concerns, and over 30 percent more likely to report moderate PPE access concerns. The linear regression model was significantly associated with higher levels of financial stress for social workers of color. COVID-19 has exposed racial and social injustices that that hold true for social workers in health settings. Improved social systems are critical not just for those impacted by COVID-19, but also for the protection and sustainability of the current and future workforce responding to COVID-19.