The effects of workplace stress

Workplace stress

At some point in their career, everyone around the world will suffer from workplace stress at one time or another, but have you ever considered that it could affect your health? According to reports, workplace stress increases your risks of experiencing further health conditions, such as anxiety disorders and depressive illnesses.

In 1983 Time magazine declared that stress was "the epidemic of the '80s." Nearly 30 years on, and things have changed dramatically in terms of business, but this has just added to the levels of workplace stress.

In the two decades since that declaration, we've welcomed into our lives cell phones, beepers, the internet, 24-hour news, and self-managed retirement plans, the article 'Stress: America's #1 Health Problem' states. The workplace has been revolutionized.

Given its profound influence on our physical and mental well-being, stress may well be America's number one health problem. The American Institute of Stress estimates that 75 to 90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for illnesses caused or made worse by stress. Included in that category are high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The American Psychological Association's (APA) latest Stress in America Survey confirms that work is stressing people out. Nearly a quarter of adults report high levels of stress, and half say they're moderately stressed.

Workplace stress study

Stephen Bevan, the managing director of the Work Foundation, has said that workplace stress can have serious consequences, in response to a study conducted by Aviva, which revealed that British businesses are facing a stress epidemic.

The study found that nearly half of all workers admitted to being stressed, while one in five were living with depression. In addition, it was seen that Britons are working harder, with 55 percent going to work even when they are ill.

The study highlighted that nearly half of the workers were stressed and about one in five were fighting with depression. The study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine studies a sample of 12,116 female nurses, the article, 'Workplace stress has bigger health implications' states.

The nurses filled out questionnaires about health, lifestyle, and occupation. The researchers took into account factors including work pressure, psychosocial work environments, job influence, occupational characteristics, such as the level of physical activity performed while on the job, and biological and behavioral factors such as smoking, body mass index, drinking alcohol, and family history of disease.

The study showed that nurses who said their work pressures were a little too high were 25 percent more likely to develop heart disease as those who said work pressures were manageable and appropriate.

Those who felt workplace stress was much too high were 35 percent more likely to have heart disease after other risk factors like smoking and lifestyle were taken into account.

Workplace stress assistance

Looking at the study, Mr. Bevan has recommended that businesses establish an employee assistance programme, complete with a helpline, with barrier-free training offered to managers to identify early warning signs of workplace stress.

"It is important that [staff] do not bottle it up and find somebody ... they can talk to about how they feel and what is at the root of their problem," he said.

He went on to say, "People who work in jobs they enjoy, where they have control over the order and pace of their work and who are working in a supportive environment, tend to be less at risk from work-related stress.

"If they feel stressed it is important that they do not bottle it up and find somebody, inside or outside work, who they can talk to about how they feel and what is at the root of their problem."

Workplace stress is going to continue to be a problem, we just have to be aware of the signs. In this day and age when there has been so many problems with the depression and the loss of jobs, everyone is going to be feeling more stressed.

Jodie Humphries

Jodie Humphries graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA Hons in Creative Writing in 2008. She has worked for GDS Publishing for the digital group since July 2009. She has previous experience with writing for the web, running her own website since April 2007.

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