Context specificity in the assessment of psychosocial risk at work: an empirical study on Italian call centre workers.

BACKGROUND: Following EU requirements, in recent years standard procedures for the assessment of work-related stress have been developed in Italy. However, while such standardization has facilitated the spread and use of these procedures, it has brought a lack of specificity in risk assessment. OBJECTIVES: To exemplify a method for the assessment of work-related stress that was developed by the University of Milan to allow the definition of risk profiles tailored to the different organizational settings. METHODS: We examined risk factors for work-related stress in call centre operators employed by two separate Italian companies. At an early stage of the assessment procedure, we conducted a wide series of consultation and training activities that allowed the identification of context-specific risk factors and homogeneous groups, which fuelled the preparation of both the "objective" and the "subjective" evaluation instruments. RESULTS: Results obtained by means of the standardized "Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire" and "Job Content Questionnaire", interpreted in the light of consultations with key organizational figures and individual interviews with employees, have allowed the detection of different risk profiles and priorities for intervention at both the group and the organizational levels. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrated the existence of both common and specific risk factors in the two companies, which would have remained undetected with the exclusive use of standardized approaches.

[Burnout: survey of the literature]. / Burnout ieri e oggi: stato delle conoscenze.

BACKGROUND: Past clinical research has provided varied and sometimes diverging descriptions of burnout. OBJECTIVES: As burnout is still prevalent in today's workplaces, actions are required mainly at the primary but also at the secondary and tertiary levels of prevention. METHODS: In this literature review, the concept of burnout is reread through the lens of positive psychology and the most established theoretical models in the field. RESULTS: A common view is seemingly emerging that characterizes burnout as a condition of alienation, loss of motivation and low autonomy resulting from an unbridgeable gap in the personal and/or organizational resources that one has to invest in building a stimulating and rewarding professional career, full of significant relationships that give meaningfulness to one's life project. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing clinical criteria for burnout, as it is the case in some European countries, couldfacilitate the identification of the syndrome and the estimation of its prevalence in Italian work organizations.

[Psychosocial risks in the health care sector: foreword]. / Rischio psicosociale in sanità: introduzione.

In the introduction to the section devoted to the psychosocial risk in the health care sector and their evaluation an attempt is made to trace a road from texts reporting experiences with objective and subjective diagnostic instruments and the necessity of their integration, to specific applications in contexts of psychological disturbances and the development of training and prevention programs. Their applicability in the real context of health care realities on the basis of actual norms and regulations is also considered. The series is closed by the last contribution supporting the idea that the workers wellbeing must be constructed not only by structuring their work in terms of well organized activities but primarily activities which can give sense to the operators worklife as well.

[Alcohol and disadaptive behavioural responses]. / Alcool e risposta comportamentale disadattiva.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The knowledge of heavy drinking and dependence on working behaviour is known and reflect the general community opinion and therefore is known in its more general and/or extreme manifestations (weekend deaths, dementia, polineuropathies). Less known and rarely measured are alcohol effects in heavy drinkers who have a high level of tolerance and only show manifestations which for a long time can be considered normal or seen as subjective peculiarities. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: It is only in presence of serious accidents or dependence reactions that the drinking habit becomes evident. Cognitive, visuomotor and memory functions as well as personal and social behaviour should be examined but, it also appears that not all psychological measures are adequate to show the presence of possible cognitive deficiencies or behavioural dysfunction due to the fact that compensation mechanism can buffer for a long time alcohol behavioural effects. Two examples are described, reaction time measures and memory profiles.

[Mobbing and its effects on health. the experience of the "Clinica del Lavoro Luigi Devoto" in Milan]. / Le caratteristiche del mobbing ed i suoi effetti sulla salute. L'esperienza della "Clinica del Lavoro luigi Devoto" di Milano.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in research, prevention and management of mobbing in the field of occupational psychosocial risks. OBJECTIVES: To describe mobbing and its health effects by analysis of the cases examined from 1997 to 2003 at the Department of Occupational Health "Clinica del Lavoro Luigi Devoto" in Milan. METHODS: A total of 226 clinical records of patients who reported a mobbing situation when undergoing medical examination were selected out of 2455 patients examined for stress-related disorders. RESULTS: The percentage of women was higher (53.1%) than in men (46.9%) with a prevalent age range of 35-54 years. There was a great variety of jobs, especially white-collars and workers in large service companies. In one third of the cases, mobbing occurred within 4 years from beginning of employment and mostly after company reorganization and management changes. The most frequent negative acts included social isolation and demotion. The most frequent symptoms were exhaustion, sleep, mood and sexual disorders. The number of symptoms was not related to the duration of mobbing but to the number and frequency of negative actions. 61.1% of the subjects took psychotropic drugs. Occupational health physicians play an essential role in primary prevention (information on occupational risks) and in early diagnosis and rehabilitation and could act as mediators between workers and enterprises.

[Dysfunctional workplace organization and mobbing. 4 representative cases]. / Organizzazione del lavoro disfunzionale e mobbing. Quattro casi emblematici.

BACKGROUND: Stress and psychological harassment at work are increasing worldwide, according to International Agencies (European Community, NIOSH) and to most authors. OBJECTIVES: To describe typical working situations responsible for distress and mobbing, with the aim of early diagnosis and effectiveness of therapy and rehabilitation. METHODS: Four cases are reported as representative of dysfunctional organization producing distress and pathology or inducing mobbing behavior or mobbing without clear organization responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS: In all cases dysfunctional organization appeared to have played a significant role even though not always a direct one. Also, common characteristics were highlighted in the three cases where mobbing was recognized.

[Emerging aspects of occupational stress]. / Aspetti emergenti dello stress occupazionale.

Work stress is caused by excessive demands which foster individuals to give prompt cognitive and behavioral answers. When these solicitations exceed the possibilities of the subject to comply, non-physiological reactions may follow, including emotional, neurovegetative and behavioral changes. If adverse stimuli persist, transient alterations form syndromes such as depression, phobic syndromes, anxiety syndromes, hypertension, heart disease, eating disorders, drug addiction, and so on. The authors examine specific stressful working areas causing illnesses in workers such as the burnout syndrome and the mobbing-related adjustment disorder or the post-traumatic stress disorder.