STRESS MANAGEMENT IN THE WORK PLACE

Anju Kuruvilla

Department of Psychiatry

Christian Medical College, Vellore

Occup stress Oct 25

Occupational Stress

Occupational Stress

• Definition:Ill-health , adverse work performance resulting from negative reactions to factors within the workplace.

• Significant relationship with

-ill health:physical and mental

-other consequences:job dissatisfaction, burnout, absenteeism, labour turnover, loss of productivity ,reduced patient satisfaction, diagnosis and treatment errors

What is a healthy job? • One where the pressures on employees are

appropriate in relation to

- their abilities and resources

- the amount of control they have over their work

- the support they receive from people who matter to them

PRESSURES

Abilities and Resources

Degree of control

Supports available

What are stress-related hazards at work?

• Job or task demands

(work load, degree of task control, clarity of role )

• Organizational factors

(interpersonal relationships, management practices, communication styles, recognition)

• Environment and physical working conditions

• Training and career development issues

(opportunity for growth , promotion)

• Conflict between work and family roles

Roles Nurses • Work overload

• Understaffing • Time pressure

• Lack of support from supervisors, head nurses, higher management

• Exposure to infectious diseases

• Needle stick injuries • Dealing with difficult, seriously ill,

violent

• Career development issues

Doctors

• Long hours • Sleep deprivation

• Excessive workload

• Dealing with death and dying

• Interpersonal conflicts with other staff

• Patient expectations

• Threat of litigation • Interpersonal conflicts (patients,

colleagues)

• Career development issues

Interventions for stress reduction

• Benefits

-individual

-organizational

Occup stress Oct 25

Interventions • Primary prevention

-promote well-being ,prevent stress

• Secondary / tertiary prevention

-reduce the consequences of the stress

• Organizational changes

-to alter source of problem

• Individual stress management

-to cope with stress

Primary prevention:

Individual level

-Educational :causes ,consequences of OS

:pamphlets, posters , talks

Primary prevention:

Individual level

-Skills training: coping skills ,time-management

:colleagues , counselors , manuals

Primary prevention:

Individual level

-Target physical concomitants of stress

:relaxation, meditation techniques

,yoga, aerobic exercises

Primary prevention : Individual—organizational interface level

-Worker support :share problems, give reassurance and support, share successful coping strategies, to listen empathetically,

-professional support to managers

-Physical and environmental constraints

Primary prevention : Individual—organizational interface level

-Healthy lifestyle promotion

-Staff appraisal/

reward programme

Secondary / tertiary prevention:

• Identify and deal with the source of the problem

• Individual support, guidance and counseling by supervisor, colleague

• Counsellors,professional intervention

• Redressal processes: streamlined,

information provided as flowchart, confidential

Are you feeling BULLIED at your work

place? ULLIED at your work place?

Talk to someone about it.

Approach your supervisor

Then -your Head of Unit/Department

Next -your appointing authority

If you are unhappy with the response from the above

Approach the Grievance cell(phone:…)

Organizational changes:

• Job allocation procedure/job description/roles

• Communication/information processes

• Decision-making , participatory management style

• Training to improve management skills , team building

• Employee assistance programmes

• Work-family conciliation policy

Occup stress Oct 25