Direct and interactive effects of occupational stress and coping on ulcer-like symptoms among Chinese male off-shore oil workers

Health and well-being of rotation workers in the mining, offshore oil and gas, and construction industry: a systematic review

Introduction

Rotation work, characterised by travelling long distances to work in isolated areas where workers typically rotate consecutive days working and living on-site with periods at home, is increasingly used in the resources and construction sectors globally. Such employment practices may have an impact on workers’ health and well-being. This systematic review explores the impact rotation work has on mental and physical outcomes in rotation workers in the resources and construction sectors.

Method

The PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were systematically searched on 1 May 2020 to identify quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method studies addressing the health of rotation workers published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings from the studies were summarised narratively.

Results

Of 6268 studies retrieved, 90 studies were included in the review. Studies suggested higher prevalence of psychological distress in onshore rotation workers and higher overweight/obesity rates among rotation workers as compared with the general population. We found more sleep problems and higher levels of smoking during work periods compared with off-site days; and higher alcohol intake during off-site days compared with on-site days. Workers generally perceived their physical health status as good. High-perceived job demands (such as workload, repetitive work) were associated with mental distress and exhaustion, sleep problems and perceived poor physical health status, while high-perceived job resources (such as job clarity/control, support) were associated with low mental distress and exhaustion, less smoking and alcohol intake, and better sleep.

Conclusion

Rotation work is associated with several poorer health behaviours and outcomes, such as sleep problems, smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity. Interventions needed to improve rotation workers’ health should include maximising available job resources and reducing job demands. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the long-term health effects of rotation work and the short-term contextual effects of the different aspects of rotation work.

A survey of psychological distress among Bangladeshi people during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

Previous studies conducted on the psychological impact of infectious outbreaks have found heavy psychological burdens among general population with more severe affect in the current pandemic. The main aim of this study is to examine the level of psychological distress during COVID-19 in Bangladesh and explore factors associated with higher psychological distress.

Methods

An internet-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to April 2020 in Bangladesh among adults 18 years old and above using structured online questionnaires distributed through emails and other social media throughout Bangladesh with an overall response rate of 34%. Modified version of the Covid19 peritraumatic distress index (CPDI) was used to measure distress. Univariate and Bivariate analysis was used to estimate prevalence of CPDI symptoms and test for the associations between CPDI and the exposure variables. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds ratios of our outcome variable by exposure variables.

Results

Overall, 44.3% of respondents were suffering from mild to moderate distress and 9.5% were suffering from severe distress. Female respondents were 2.435 times more likely to suffer from CPDI mild to severe distress than males. As compared to Dhaka and Mymensing region of Bangladesh, odds of distress was 1.945 times more in Chittagong/Sylhet region (p-value = 0.035).

Conclusion

Large proportion of adult population in Bangladesh are experiencing psychological distress, with level of distress varies by different symptoms and predictors. This study suggest the need to develop comprehensive crisis prevention system including epidemiological monitoring, screening, and referral with targeted intervention to reduce psychological distress.

The psychological distress and coping styles in the early stages of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic in the general mainland Chinese population: A web-based survey

As the epidemic outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), general population may experience psychological distress. Evidence has suggested that negative coping styles may be related to subsequent mental illness. Therefore, we investigate the general population's psychological distress and coping styles in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional battery of surveys was conducted from February 1-4, 2020. The Kessler 6 psychological distress scale, the simplified coping style questionnaire and a general information questionnaire were administered on-line to a convenience sample of 1599 in China. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the influence factors of psychological distress. General population's psychological distress were significant differences based on age, marriage, epidemic contact characteristics, concern with media reports, and perceived impacts of the epidemic outbreak (all p <0.001) except gender (p = 0.316). The population with younger age (F = 102.04), unmarried (t = 15.28), with history of visiting Wuhan in the past month (t = -40.86), with history of epidemics occurring in the community (t = -10.25), more concern with media reports (F = 21.84), perceived more impacts of the epidemic outbreak (changes over living situations, F = 331.71; emotional control, F = 1863.07; epidemic-related dreams, F = 1642.78) and negative coping style (t = 37.41) had higher level of psychological distress. Multivariate analysis found that marriage, epidemic contact characteristics, perceived impacts of the epidemic and coping style were the influence factors of psychological distress (all p <0.001). Epidemic of COVID-19 caused high level of psychological distress. The general mainland Chinese population with unmarried, history of visiting Wuhan in the past month, perceived more impacts of the epidemic and negative coping style had higher level of psychological distress in the early stages of COVID-19 epidemic. Psychological interventions should be implemented early, especially for those general population with such characteristics.

The Interaction Effects of Burnout and Job Support on Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) among Firefighters and Policemen

Policemen and firefighters encounter numerous emergency events that frequently lead to high burnout and low job support, resulting in adverse health effects. A number of studies reported the correlation between job characteristics and the risk of peptic ulcer diseases (PUD) across various industries. However, there is very little research on evaluating the interaction effects of burnout and job support on the prevalence of PUD among firefighters and policemen. The objective of this study was to assess the interactional effects between burnout and job support on the prevalence of PUD among firefighters and policemen. This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Registered, full-time police officers and firefighters in Taiwan were anonymously interviewed by a mail-delivered questionnaire. All female workers were excluded due to different job characteristics and a limited sample size. A total of 9328 firefighters and 42,798 policemen completed the questionnaire, with a response rate of 78.7%. Overall, prevalence rates of self-reported and self-reports of physician-diagnosed PUD were 8.3% and 6.5% for policemen and 7.1% and 5.5% for firefighters, respectively. There was a 22% reduced odds ratio of PUD as diagnosed by physicians for the group with low burnout and high job support, but an increased odds ratio of 53% for the group with high burnout and low job support, after adjusting for lifestyle and demographic variables. There must be an increase of job support and reduction of burnout through the modification of work structure and setting up of counseling services to reduce workplace stress and the prevalence of PUD among policemen and firefighters.

Linking quantitative demands to offshore wind workers' stress: do personal and job resources matter? A structural equation modelling approach

Background

Employees in the offshore wind industry are exposed to various job demands, increasing the workers’ risk of experiencing strain reactions. However, personal and job resources might play a role in the stressor-strain context. The aim of this study was (1) to examine the link between offshore employees’ quantitative demands and stress, and (2) to study the role of personal and job resources (psychological detachment from work, social support, and influence at work) in this stressor-strain relationship.

Methods

Two hundred fifty offshore wind workers responded to an anonymous web-based survey, assessing the workers’ quantitative demands, social support, influence at work, psychological detachment from work, and stress. Descriptive statistical analyses and structural equation modelling were applied to test the hypotheses.

Results

Correlation analyses revealed substantial associations between employees’ quantitative demands, personal and job resources, and stress. Results of structural equation modelling indicated a good fit of the hypothesized model. Quantitative demands were positively related to stress, and psychological detachment from work partially mediated this relationship. Social support was negatively related to stress, while influence at work was not. Neither social support nor influence at work moderated the stressor-strain or stressor-detachment relationship.

Conclusions

The results contribute to the current knowledge on the topic. They can be used to design health promotion interventions aimed at reducing offshore employees’ quantitative demands, fostering their ability to mentally detach from work, and enhancing social support at the offshore workplace.

Healthy offshore workforce? A qualitative study on offshore wind employees' occupational strain, health, and coping

BACKGROUND

Offshore work has been described as demanding and stressful. Despite this, evidence regarding the occupational strain, health, and coping behaviors of workers in the growing offshore wind industry in Germany is still limited. The purpose of our study was to explore offshore wind employees' perceptions of occupational strain and health, and to investigate their strategies for dealing with the demands of offshore work.

METHODS

We conducted 21 semi-structured telephone interviews with employees in the German offshore wind industry. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed in a deductive-inductive approach following Mayring's qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Workers generally reported good mental and physical health. However, they also stated perceptions of stress at work, fatigue, difficulties detaching from work, and sleeping problems, all to varying extents. In addition, physical health impairment in relation to offshore work, e.g. musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal complaints, was documented. Employees described different strategies for coping with their job demands. The strategies comprised of both problem and emotion-focused approaches, and were classified as either work-related, health-related, or related to seeking social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first to investigate the occupational strain, health, and coping of workers in the expanding German offshore wind industry. The results offer new insights that can be utilized for future research in this field. In terms of practical implications, the findings suggest that measures should be carried out aimed at reducing occupational strain and health impairment among offshore wind workers. In addition, interventions should be initiated that foster offshore wind workers' health and empower them to further expand on effective coping strategies at their workplace.

Decreased stress resilience in young men significantly increases the risk of subsequent peptic ulcer disease - a prospective study of 233 093 men in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial stress may influence peptic ulcer disease (PUD) risk, but it can be difficult to identify reliably whether stressful exposures pre-dated disease. The association of stress resilience (susceptibility to stress) with subsequent PUD risk has been incompletely investigated.

AIM

To assess if stress resilience in adolescence is associated with subsequent PUD risk.

METHODS

The participants comprised of 233 093 men resident in Sweden, born 1952-1956 and assessed for compulsory military conscription during 1969-1976, with data provided by national Swedish registers. Stress resilience was evaluated through semi-structured interviews by a certified psychologist. Cox regression assessed the association between stress resilience in adolescence and the risk of PUD from 1985 to 2009, between ages 28 and 57 years, with adjustment for parental socioeconomic index, household crowding and number of siblings in childhood, as well as cognitive function and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in adolescence.

RESULTS

In total, 2259 first PUD diagnoses were identified. Lower stress resilience in adolescence is associated with a higher risk of PUD in subsequent adulthood: compared with high resilience, the adjusted hazard ratios (and 95% CI) are 1.84 (1.61-2.10) and 1.23 (1.09-1.38) for low and moderate stress resilience, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Stress may be implicated in the aetiology of PUD and low stress resilience is a marker of risk.

Restoring psychology's role in peptic ulcer

This paper reviews the history of the transition from the belief that gastrointestinal ulcers are caused primarily by psychological factors to the current state of belief that they are caused primarily by infection and argues that neither is fully accurate. We argue that psychological factors play a significant role as predisposing to vulnerability, modulating of precipitation, and sustaining of gastric ulceration. We review data that challenge the assumption of a simple infectious disease model and adduce recent preclinical data that confirm the predisposing, modulatory, and sustaining roles for psychological factors. We note that others, too, are now challenging the adequacy of the contemporary simple bacterial infection model. We hope to replace the competition between psychology and medicine with cooperation in understanding and treating patients suffering gastric ulceration and ulcer.

Occupational risks and challenges of seafaring

Seafarers are exposed to a high diversity of occupational health hazards onboard ships.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this article is to present a survey of the current, most important hazards in seafaring including recommendations on measures how to deal with these problems.

METHODS

The review is based on maritime expert opinions as well a PubMed analysis related to the occupational risks of seafaring.

RESULTS

Despite recent advances in injury prevention, accidents due to harmful working and living conditions at sea and of non-observance of safety rules remain a main cause of injury and death. Mortality in seafaring from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is mainly caused by increased risks and impaired treatment options of CVD at sea. Further, shipboard stress and high demand may lead to fatigue and isolation which have an impact on the health of onboard seafarers. Communicable diseases in seafaring remain an occupational problem. Exposures to hazardous substances and UV-light are important health risks onboard ships. Because of harsh working conditions onboard including environmental conditions, sufficient recreational activities are needed for the seafarers' compensation both onboard and ashore. However, in reality there is often a lack of leisure time possibilities.

DISCUSSION

Seafaring is still an occupation with specific work-related risks. Thus, a further reduction of occupational hazards aboard ships is needed and poses a challenge for maritime health specialists and stakeholders. Nowadays, maritime medicine encompasses a broad field of workplaces with different job-related challenges.

Mental health issues in Chinese offshore oil workers

BACKGROUND

Offshore oil platform work is regarded as a stressful occupation, and occupational stress has been shown to be an important risk factor for mental illness. Little, however, is known about the main and interactive effects of occupational stress and coping styles on the mental health of Chinese offshore oil platform workers.

AIMS

To explore the association of mental health with occupational stress, coping styles and their interaction among Chinese offshore oil platform workers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 561 Chinese offshore oil platform workers. They were sent a self-administered questionnaire exploring their socio-demographic characteristics, occupational stress, coping styles and mental health. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the main and interactive effects of occupational stress and coping styles on mental health.

RESULTS

After controlling for age, educational level, marital status and years of offshore working, poor mental health was significantly positively associated with occupational stress, 'internal behaviour' coping methods and the interaction between occupational stress and internal behaviour coping.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that the mental health of Chinese offshore oil platform workers is associated with occupational stress, some coping styles and interactions of occupational stress and some coping styles.