All that glitters is not gold! Job insecurity and well-being in STEM research fellows: a latent profile analysis.

Job insecurity is now one of the major stressors affecting well-being at work. In academia, researchers appear to be in the most precarious position. To explore the relationship between job insecurity and well-being at work, we analyzed a sample of research fellows belonging to STEM disciplines in Italy. Using a latent profile approach, we identified three "hidden" subgroups: "Safe & Sound"; "Safe not so Sound" and "Neither Safe or Sound." Compared to previous studies, our results show that even within a population of STEM researchers that tends to have good levels of employability and mobility, there are subgroups of people characterized by greater job insecurity and low work commitment, who suffer from emotional exhaustion and cynicism at work level, i.e., more exposed to the risk of burnout.

Under Pressure: Emotional Reactions to Stress of Neurosurgeons and Neurosurgical Trainees.

OBJECTIVE: Neurosurgeons demonstrate some of the highest levels of burnout among surgeons, yet little research has been done to understand the underlying stressors that neurosurgeons and trainees experience and the emotional responses to them. Our goal was to conduct a feasibility study identifying job stressors and emotional responses among neurosurgeons rather than generalize findings across the profession. METHODS: Emphasizing a qualitative approach in this feasibility and descriptive study, we strategically selected a small sample of neurosurgical attendings, residents, and fellows at 2 United States academic neurosurgical departments to ensure an in-depth analysis laying the groundwork for future extensive research. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding work-related stressors and high- and low-arousal emotional responses to these stressors, as well as a standardized Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses evaluating types of stressors and emotional responses reported were assessed based on participant training level. RESULTS: Participants identified 3 main stressors: 1) administrative deficiencies; 2) delivering bad news/saving lives; and 3) work-life balance. A low frequency of negative emotional responses was reported, but those reported were mainly high-arousal emotions. Limited prior training in coping strategies was also reported. We also found that residents, fellows, and faculty surgeons reported about work stressors and coping strategies differently. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study provide an understanding of neurosurgical professionals' unique emotional landscape, emphasizing the need for reforms in administrative practices, enhanced, healthy coping strategies, and career stage-specific mental health support.

Occupational burnout and their determinants among schoolteachers in Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Burnout syndrome attributable to cumulative stressors is highly prevalent among teachers. Despite this, knowledge of burnout syndrome among schoolteachers in lower-middle-income countries are limited, therefore we aimed to investigate self-reported occupational burnout syndrome and associated factors among schoolteachers in Nepal. METHODS: A survey was conducted among randomly selected 37 community schools in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2022, with a total sample of 218 schoolteachers (70% male). Occupational burnout was assessed using the Nepali version of the validated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-ES). MBI-ES consists of 22 items assessing occupational burnout, which were classified into emotional exhaustion (EE, 9 items, score range: 0-45), depersonalization (DP, 5 items, 0-23), and personal accomplishment (PA, 8 items; 3-48). The greater score in EE and DP and the lower score in PA indicate a higher level of burnout. Various socio-demographic, lifestyle, and work-related factors were examined as determinants of occupational burnout using ANOVA and multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: The mean scores of EE, DP, and PA were 14.99 (Standard Deviation, SD = 9.79), 4.18 (SD = 4.57), and 42.11 (SD = 6.82) respectively. Poor/moderate work ability contributed to poorer ratings of all three dimensions. Teaching special needs students contributed to EE and DP, whereas low physical activity and alcohol intake were associated with PA only. Younger age, being married, language of teaching, having a disability, sub-optimal physical fitness, poor sleep quality, and ever smoking contributed to EE only. CONCLUSION: Occupational burnout among schoolteachers was relatively high. Marital status, lifestyle behavioral, and work-related factors were associated especially with EE and workability was a strong determinant of all three dimensions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05626543.

Burnout and the role of mentorship for radiology trainees and early career radiologists.

Burnout is a widespread issue among physicians, including radiologists and radiology trainees. Long hours, isolation, and substantial stress levels contribute to healthcare workers experiencing a substantially higher rate of burnout compared with other professionals. Resident physicians, continuously exposed to stressors such as new clinical situations and performance feedback, are particularly susceptible. Mentorship has proven to be an effective strategy in mitigating burnout. Various mentorship delivery models exist, all aiming to have mentors serve as role models to mentees, thereby alleviating stress and anxiety. Physician groups and healthcare enterprises have actively implemented these programs, recognizing them as both successful and cost-effective. This article explores different mentorship models, their implementation processes, and the effectiveness of these programs as a standard component of academic departments.

Perceived impacts of stressful events on train driver performance.

Acute stress exposure can significantly impact a train driver's capacity to maintain safe train operations. However, research examining how train drivers perceive the impacts of acute stressors is limited. This study investigated train driver perceptions regarding performance impacts of stressful events and potential strategies for reducing negative impacts. 71 Australian train drivers were presented with three stressful event scenarios via an online survey and asked to rate the impacts on driving performance. Results showed that participants perceived that stress would enhance performance, but that impacts differed depending on the event type. The findings suggest that train drivers may not be subjectively aware of negative impacts of acute stress, which has important practical implications for risk management following an incident. Qualitative results revealed the most frequently reported stress impact related to cognition. Practical implications and future research directions to prevent and manage stressful event exposure are discussed.

Prevalence and determinants of burnout among South African doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Burnout, resulting from chronic workplace stress that has been unsuccessfully managed, has previously been documented in doctors. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased occupational challenges faced by doctors, potentiating their risk for burnout. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of burnout among medical doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting: Three public sector hospitals in Gqeberha, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 260 voluntary participants was conducted. Participants completed self-administered electronic questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the determinants of burnout. Results: The prevalence of burnout in this study was 78%. Burnout was significantly associated with being a medical intern or community-service medical officer (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 6.72, 1.71-26.40), being in the lowest income band (AOR = 10.78, 2.55-45.49), and using alcohol to manage work-related stress (AOR = 3.01, 1.12-8.04). Job-related factors associated with burnout were experiencing high conflict at work (AOR = 5.04, 1.92-13.20) and high role ambiguity and role conflict (AOR = 4.49, 1.98-10.18). Low support at work (AOR = 9.99, 3.66-27.23), medium job satisfaction (AOR = 5.38, 2.65-10.93) and medium support at work (AOR = 3.39, 1.71-6.73) were positively associated with burnout. Participants with medium (AOR = 0.28, 0.10-0.80) and high levels of resilience (AOR = 0.08, 0.03-0.25) were protected against burnout. Coronavirus disease 2019-related factors were not significantly associated with burnout. Conclusion: The burnout prevalence among South African medical doctors at public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic was high and strongly associated with job stress factors. Contribution: Given the increased prevalence of burnout among doctors and the strong associations with job stress factors, mitigation of burnout requires targeted organisational interventions.

Natural Language Processing for Work-Related Stress Detection Among Health Professionals: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need worldwide for qualified health professionals. High attrition rates among health professionals, combined with a predicted rise in life expectancy, further emphasize the need for additional health professionals. Work-related stress is a major concern among health professionals, affecting both the well-being of health professionals and the quality of patient care. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to identify processes and methods for the automatic detection of work-related stress among health professionals using natural language processing (NLP) and text mining techniques. METHODS: This review follows Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The inclusion criteria for this scoping review encompass studies involving health professionals using NLP for work-related stress detection while excluding studies involving other professions or children. The review focuses on various aspects, including NLP applications for stress detection, criteria for stress identification, technical aspects of NLP, and implications of stress detection through NLP. Studies within health care settings using diverse NLP techniques are considered, including experimental and observational designs, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of NLP's role in detecting stress among health professionals. Studies published in English, German, or French from 2013 to present will be considered. The databases to be searched include MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore. Sources of unpublished studies and gray literature to be searched will include ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and OpenGrey. Two reviewers will independently retrieve full-text studies and extract data. The collected data will be organized in tables, graphs, and a qualitative narrative summary. This review will use tables and graphs to present data on studies' distribution by year, country, activity field, and research methods. Results synthesis involves identifying, grouping, and categorizing. The final scoping review will include a narrative written report detailing the search and study selection process, a visual representation using a PRISMA-ScR flow diagram, and a discussion of implications for practice and research. RESULTS: We anticipate the outcomes will be presented in a systematic scoping review by June 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This review fills a literature gap by identifying automated work-related stress detection among health professionals using NLP and text mining, providing insights on an innovative approach, and identifying research needs for further systematic reviews. Despite promising outcomes, acknowledging limitations in the reviewed studies, including methodological constraints, sample biases, and potential oversight, is crucial to refining methodologies and advancing automatic stress detection among health professionals. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/56267.

Corrigendum: Relationship Between Effort-Reward Imbalance, Over-Commitment and Occupational Burnout in the General Population: A Prospective Cohort Study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606160.].

Care Workers' Turnover Intentions Associated With Workplace Abuse: The Role of Work-Related Stress and Job Satisfaction.

This study examines the association between workplace abuse experienced by care workers at the hands of care recipients and their turnover intentions, as well as the mediating effects of work-related stress and job satisfaction. Compared to care recipients' experiences of abuse, care workers' experiences have been relatively underexplored. Using data from the Korean National Long-Term Care Survey in 2019, the path from workplace abuse to care workers' turnover intentions was examined. Results showed significant mediating effects of work-related stress and job satisfaction in the relationship between workplace abuse and turnover intentions. Findings have policy implications for improving long-term care workers' social awareness and working conditions.

Burnout among diabetes specialist registrars across the United Kingdom in the post-pandemic era.

Introduction: Burnout syndrome is a condition resulting from chronic work-related stress exposure and can be identified by the presence of one or more of the three classic dimensions of burnout, i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment, which negatively impact physician health and productivity. Objective: This study aimed to identify burnout among Diabetes and Endocrinology Specialty Training Registrars (DStRs) across the United Kingdom. Design/setting: It was a Cross-sectional observational study after ethical approval ERSC_2022_1166, utilizing the gold standard Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure burnout syndrome, and to determine self-reported stressors and compare them with the results of our previous survey in 2018. Participants: Over 430 DStRs across the United Kingdom were invited electronically through their deanery representatives and specialty training bodies. Results: Using Google Forms™ to gather data, we were able to collect 104 completed surveys. Results revealed that 62.5% (n = 65) of participants have burnout (5% increase from the previous survey in 2018), 38.6% (n = 40) have high emotional exhaustion, and 44.2% (n = 46) feel a lack of personal accomplishment. "General Internal Medicine specific workload" was the most common self-reported stressor reported by 87.5% (n = 91) of participants, whereas bullying/harassment and discrimination at work were reported by 35.6% (n = 37) and 30.77% (n = 32) of participants, respectively. Using multivariable logistic regression model, personal stress (OR, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.48-10.86; p = 0.006) had significant, while Bullying/harassment (OR, 3.75; 95% CI, 0.93-15.12; p = 0.063) had marginal impact on the presence of burnout. Conclusion: Diabetes and Endocrinology Specialty Training Registrars frequently experience burnout syndrome, which has increased over the last 4 years. However, organizational changes can help identify, prevent, and treat physician burnout. Trial registration: NCT05481021 available at https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT05481021.

Stress, interpersonal and inter-role conflicts, and psychological health conditions among nurses: vicious and virtuous circles within and beyond the wards.

BACKGROUND: The increasing costs of nurses' occupational-stress, conflicts, and violence within healthcare services have raised international interest. Yet, research/interventions should consider that perceived stress and conflicts- but also potential resources- within the wards can crossover the healthcare settings, impacting nurses' private lives and viceversa, potentially creating vicious circles exacerbating stress, conflicts/violence or, conversely, virtuous circles of psychological/relational wellbeing. Based on the Demands-Resources-and-Individual-Effects (DRIVE) Nurses Model, and responding to the need to go in-depth into this complex dynamic, this study aims to explore potential vicious circles featured by the negative effects of the interplay (main/mediating effects) between perceived stressors in nursing linked to interpersonal conflicts (Conflicts-with-Physicians, Peers, Supervisors, Patients/their families), work-family inter-role conflicts (Work-Family/Family-Work-Conflicts), and work-related stress (Effort-Reward-Imbalance) on nurses' psychological/relational health (Anxiety, Depression, Somatization, Interpersonal-Sensitivity, Hostility). The potential moderating role of work-resources (Job-Control, Social-Support, Job-Satisfaction) in breaking vicious circles/promoting virtuous circles was also explored. METHOD: The STROBE Checklist was used to report this cross-sectional multi-centre study. Overall, 265 nurses completed self-report questionnaires. Main/mediating/moderating hypotheses were tested by using Correlational-Analyses and Hayes-PROCESS-tool. RESULTS: Data confirmed the hypothesized detrimental vicious circles (main/mediating effects), impairing nurses' psychological health conditions at individual level (Anxiety, Depression, Somatization), but also at relational level (Hostility and Interpersonal-Sensitivity). The moderating role of all work resources was fully supported. CONCLUSION: Findings could be used to implement interventions/practices to effectively prevent the maintenance/exacerbation of vicious circles and promote psychological/relational wellbeing in healthcare settings and beyond.

Assessment of occupational stress among certified registered anesthetists in the Greater Accra region.

Background: Work-related stress is a prevailing concern within the community of Certified Registered Anesthetists (CRAs), significantly impacting both the health and professional performance of these individuals. This study aimed to assess work-related stress and its influencing factors among CRAs practicing in the Greater Accra region was examined. Methods: Using convenience sampling techniques, data were gathered from 140 participants via a Google form questionnaire distributed through WhatsApp. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the collected data, focusing on frequencies and proportions for categorical variables. For continuous variables, bivariate analysis (Chi-square) and ordinal logistic regression were conducted using STATA 16. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Among the 140 CRAs, 20 individuals (14.3%) reported experiencing mild stress levels according to the Weiman Occupational Stress Scale. Approximately 3 out of 4 CRAs (73.6%) reported having moderate stress levels, and 12.1% reported severe stress levels. This indicated that the majority of CRAs experienced moderate levels of stress, which was notably affected by the type of health facility and the use of inadequate or sub-standard equipment in the hospitals. Conclusion: Based on these findings, the study recommends educational programs and counseling for CRAs to heighten awareness of the demanding nature of their job. Additionally, it suggests the provision of proper resources and standard equipment for CRAs. Facility-level motivation for CRAs is also advised to alleviate their stress. Finally, the study proposes further investigations into the factors contributing to work-related stress among CRAs.

Burnout Syndrome Among Critical Care Health Providers in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Burnout Syndrome constitutes a critical concern in healthcare, particularly among practitioners operating in high-stress, critical care settings. Understanding the multifaceted factors contributing to burnout in this context is pivotal for devising effective interventions and promoting the well-being of critical care professionals. Objective: To investigate the prevalence, contributing factors, and potential interventions related to Burnout Syndrome among critical care health providers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was employed, gathering data from a sample of critical care health providers, including medical practitioners. A self-administered structured electronic questionnaire was used, incorporating the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) with its three subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The target population was male and female critical care health providers over 18 years age, most participants lies between 25 years to 34 years. Results: Statistical analysis shows significant disparities in response distribution (p<0.05), highlighting the importance of understanding encounters with emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. The Durbin-Watson statistic indicated limited autocorrelation, and collinearity tolerance values suggested nominal intercorrelations among predictors. A significant positive correlation was found between the "Depersonalization Loss of Empathy MBI" factor and the outcome variables, indicating complex relationships between emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. Conclusion: The study highlights the multifaceted nature of burnout, revealing intricate relationships between emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. These findings collectively form an important foundation for future guidelines and interventions to enhance the well-being of healthcare professionals.

Effects of stress management and relationship-enrichment counseling on sexual and marital satisfaction of working women with high occupational stress.

BACKGROUND: Industrialization of societies has placed considerable stress on employees influencing marital and sexual satisfaction. This study investigated the effects of stress management (SM) and relationship enrichment (RE) counseling on marital and sexual satisfaction in stressed women working at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences hospitals, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study, 75 nurses and midwives experiencing moderate-to-severe occupational stress after obtaining written informed consent were assigned to SM and RE counseling and control groups randomly. The SM and RE attended six-related counseling sessions, and control group received no intervention. The participants completed Osipow's Revised Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI-R), ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, and Larson's Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire before and 2 weeks after the intervention. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and ANCOVA. RESULTS: SM counseling led to relatively good increase in sexual satisfaction. In addition, there was no significant difference between the three groups in the mean occupational stress scores and marital satisfaction scores. CONCLUSION: SM counseling increased the level of sexual satisfaction. The approaches had no significant effect on occupational stress and marital satisfaction. Further studies are required to identify the best counseling approaches.

Individual and Organizational Factors Associated With Intent to Leave the Job and Public Child Welfare Field Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The public child welfare system is plagued with high turnover, which is consistently associated with job-related stress. However, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced challenges that impact both the work and caseworkers' decision to stay in their job. To better understand stressors and intention to stay amid the COVID-19 pandemic, one state-level agency implemented a survey, completed by forty-eight percent of public child welfare caseworkers in the state. The current analysis employs multinomial logistic regression to predict intention to stay in the job and in the field and narrative analysis to describe caseworker experiences. Expanding on prior research, findings suggest that caseworker perception of an organization's response to COVID-19 challenges is associated with a caseworker's intent to leave. Further, this study highlights the distinction in commitment to the field compared to commitment to one's job, introduces challenges associated with work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and describes worker-identified benefits of those work changes.

Factors associated with health professionals' stress reactions, job satisfaction, intention to leave and health-related outcomes in acute care, rehabilitation and psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and home care organisations.

The aim of this study is to identify (1) the extent of work-related stress and (2) stressors associated with cognitive and behavioral stress reactions, burnout symptoms, health status, quality of sleep, job satisfaction, and intention to leave the organization and the profession among health professionals working in acute care /rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, and home care organizations. BACKGROUND: Health professionals are faced with various stressors at work and as a consequence are leaving their profession prematurely. This study aimed to identify the extent of work-related stress and stressors associated with stress reactions, job satisfaction, and intention to leave and health-related outcomes among health professionals working in different healthcare sectors (acute care, rehabilitation and psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes and home care organizations). METHODS: This study is based on a repeated cross-sectional design, which includes three data measures between 2017 and 2020 and 19,340 participating health professionals from 26 acute care / rehabilitation hospitals, 12 psychiatric hospitals, 86 nursing homes and 41 home care organizations in Switzerland. For data analysis, hierarchical multilevel models (using AIC) were calculated separately for hospitals, nursing homes, and home care organizations, regarding health professionals' stress symptoms, job satisfaction, intention to leave the organization / profession, general health status, burnout symptoms, and quality of sleep. RESULTS: The main findings reveal that the incompatibility of health professionals' work and private life was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with their stress reactions, job satisfaction, intention to leave, and health-related outcomes in all the included work areas. The direct supervisor's good leadership qualities were also associated with health professionals' job satisfaction regarding all work areas (B ≥ 0.22, p = 0.000). In addition, a positive perceived bond with the organization (B ≥ 0.13, p < 0.01) and better development opportunities (B ≥ 0.05, p < 0.05) were associated with higher job satisfaction and a lower intention to leave the organization and profession among health professionals. Also, a younger age of health professionals was associated with a higher intention to leave the organization and the profession prematurely in all the included work areas. High physical (B ≥ 0.04, p < 0.05) and quantitative demands (B ≥ 0.05, p = 0.000) at work were also associated with negative health-related outcomes.

Exploring the experiences and perceptions of trainees undertaking a critical incident debrief training programme: A qualitative study.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Critical incident debriefing is an occupational health tool for supporting healthcare workers following critical incidents. Demand for debriefing has increased following the Covid-19 pandemic. There is now a need for more trained debrief facilitators to meet demand, but there is a dearth of literature regarding how best to train facilitators. This study addressed this by exploring participant experiences of an online critical incident debrief training programme. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 individuals who received a 5-day training programme based on the Critical Incident Stress Management model. Participants were recruited from a range of professional disciplines including psychology, nursing and human resources within one British healthcare system. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis produced three themes. Managing trainee experiences and expectations suggested that disciplinary heterogeneity in training groups supported inter-participant knowledge exchange. However, this variation also meant that training materials did not meet the learning needs of all participants. Modality of training suggested that while online learning was acceptable for some, others experienced screen fatigue and found it hard to build rapport with other participants. Systematic and organisational obstacles to training access and delivery suggested that lack of managerial support and organisational mental health stigma may be barriers to accessing training. CONCLUSION: A 5-day online CISM-based training programme was acceptable to participants. Organisations implementing critical incident debrief training may benefit from (1) offering both in-person and online training options, and (2) tailoring course materials according to the disciplinary make-up of groups.

Determining the Right Levels of Health Coaching and Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback in a Workplace Behavior Change Intervention: Multiphase Optimization Strategy Preparation Study.

BACKGROUND: Work-related stress is associated with poor job performance and negative health outcomes. Changing health behaviors through corporate wellness programs can improve physical and mental health and help employees manage stress. This project sought to pilot the potential addition of brief coaching and biofeedback to an 8-week web-based self-help program to improve employee stress using the multiphase optimization strategy. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine which candidate components will be tested in a later optimization phase and at what dose they will be tested, examine the feasibility and acceptability of delivering the different components, investigate whether the outcomes can be feasibly measured, and review evidence to build a conceptual model before the optimization phase. METHODS: The study was positioned within the preparation phase of the multiphase optimization strategy. It is a 2×2×2×2 design with 4 components: 2 types of health coaching and 2 types of biofeedback. All components were tested by turning them on or off. A total of 16 adult office workers (mean age 40, SD 14.3 years; n=15 women) completed an 8-week self-paced web-based stress management and health behavior change program and were randomly assigned to 1 of the 16 conditions, created from a combination of the 4 candidate components. Assessments included web analytics, surveys, and interviews regarding program recommendations, likes, and dislikes. RESULTS: Findings from the interviews provided suggestions to improve the intervention (eg, separating wellness from stress content) and trial conduct (eg, streamlining the onboarding process). On average, participants logged into the wellness program 83 times (range 36-291), with 75% (12/16) participant retention and 67% (8/12) survey completion. There were no reported problems with coaching or obtaining data from interviews or apps. The interview findings suggested potential mediators to include and assess in a future conceptual model. CONCLUSIONS: The results provided areas to improve the intervention content and trial methods. Instead of progressing to the next scheduled large-scale optimization phase, our plan to iterate through a second preparation phase after making changes to the protocol, apps, and corporate coaching partner.

Validation of a Turkish Translation of the Perceived Occupational Stress Scale and Measurement Invariance Across Turkish and Italian Workers.

Introduction: Measuring and understanding perceived occupational stress is crucial for understanding workers' experiences of stress in the workplace and its potential implications on mental health outcomes and job performance. However, there is a scarcity of brief measures containing relevant items focused solely on occupational stress, suitable for integration with risk assessment tools for work-related stress. This study aimed to validate the Perceived Occupational Stress (POS) scale in Turkish and examined its measurement invariance across Turkish and Italian samples. Methods: The participants included 350 Turkish teachers (55.7% male) and 160 Italian workers (60.6% female). Results: The results showed a single-factor structure explaining 69.61% of the total variance for the POS. The internal consistency was found to be high in both samples. The results also indicated that the factor structure of the POS was equivalent across the two groups, supporting measurement invariance. Conclusion: Overall, the POS demonstrated solid measurement properties, including validated factor structure, internal reliability, and measurement invariance.

Effort-reward and overcommitment at work and psychiatric symptoms in healthcare professionals: The mediation role of allostatic load.

Background: Despite decades of advancement to support interventions for managing work-related stress, mental health issues have significantly escalated among healthcare professionals. Effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and overcommitment in the workplace are linked to several psychiatric disorders. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated whether ERI and overcommitment among healthcare professionals were linked to Allostatic Load (AL) and whether AL mediates the relationship between ERI, overcommitment and mental health issues. Methods: One hundred forty-two nursing workers (n = 142; 90.1 % female, mean age: 39.5 ± 9.6) were randomly recruited from a university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and applied the ERI scale that assesses work effort, reward, and overcommitment. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Self-Report Questionnaire for psychiatric symptoms (SRQ-20) evaluated the mental health outcomes. Ten neuroendocrine, metabolic, immunologic and cardiovascular biomarkers were analyzed, and values were transformed into an AL index using clinical reference cutoffs. Results: Linear regression adjusted for covariates showed that higher scores for overcommitment were associated with higher AL indexes, which in turn were associated with higher SRQ-20, but not with PSS and DBI scores. As expected, higher scores for effort, lower for reward, and higher ERI were associated with higher scores for PSS, SRQ-20, and DBI, but not with AL index. Direct effect estimates showed that overcommitment was directly associated with higher SRQ-20 scores, and indirectly via AL. Conclusion: Our study reveals that overcommitment, rather than ERI, was linked to increased AL in healthcare workers. Additionally, AL mediates the relationship between overcommitment and higher psychiatric symptoms, highlighting a key mechanism by which work stress can lead to mental health problems. Individual's responses to high work demands need to be considered when designing predictive models and interventions for mental health issues.