The relation between social capital and burnout: a longitudinal study

The prevalence of burnout and its relationship with capital types among university staff in Tehran, Iran: A cross-sectional study

Background

Burnout is a job-related syndrome that is common among university staff, and it is caused by various factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of burnout and its relationship with capital types among university staff in Tehran, Iran.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive-analytical design was used in which 420 staff were randomly sampled from the Iran University of Medical Sciences. For data collection, the researchers used the Burnout Inventory of Maslach and Jackson and Capital Types Questionnaire. The data were entered into SPSS software (Version 22) and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics and regressions.

Results

The mean burnout of staff was 84.42, and 45.9% of them had high burnout. A significant relationship was found among capital types, work experience, gender, education, and burnout. Multiple linear regressions also showed that independent variables estimated about 32% of the variance of the dependent variable, social capital, gender, and work experience, contributed more to explaining and predicting burnout index.

Conclusion

Regarding the relationship between burnout and capital types (economic, cultural, and social), it is necessary to increase capital by increasing cultural activities, staff's knowledge level, income levels, informal groups, and finally, strengthening interpersonal relationships among staff.

Hair Cortisol Concentration as a Biomarker of Sleep Quality and Related Disorders

Cortisol is the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and its production is increased mainly in stressful situations or in chronic disorders accompanied by stress enhancement. Altered cortisol concentrations have been reported in a number of neuropsychiatric diseases and sleep disorders. Cortisol concentrations have been measured using several methods, and in several matrixes, such as blood, saliva, and urine. However, lately, hair cortisol, for several reasons, has emerged as a promising biomarker of long-term retrospective HPA activation. Several experimental approaches for cortisol measurement with the corresponding concentration reference ranges and a summary of findings from scientific literature on this field are presented. There is evidence of a close relationship between HPA functional alteration and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Sleep disorders are the most common manifestation in several neuropsychiatric conditions, and have also been associated to cortisol alterations in both adults and children. Many studies indicate that hair cortisol constitutes a valuable tool for further contributing to existing data on salivary, plasma, or urinary cortisol concentrations in patients with sleep disorders.

Work-unit social capital and incident purchase of psychotropic medications: A longitudinal cohort-study of healthcare workers

BACKGROUND

Whether workplace social capital affects employees' mental health is debated. We examined the association between work-unit aggregated social capital and incident purchase of psychotropic medications among employees.

METHODS

We used data from the WHALE (Well-being in Hospital Employees) cohort study. The study population comprised 21,711 employees without recent psychotropic purchase-history nested within 2283 work units in the Capital Region of Denmark. Employees were invited to participate in a survey in March 2014 (86% response). We assessed workplace social capital by eight items (covering trust/justice and collaboration) and aggregated the mean of responses up to each work unit and categorized the scores into quartiles. Data on psychotropic purchases (antidepressants and anxiolytics/hypnotics/sedatives) were extracted via linkage to national registers. Using two-level mixed-effects survival models, we analyzed the association between work-unit social capital and psychotropic purchases during a one-year follow-up period adjusting for individual-level workplace social capital.

RESULTS

Low work-unit social capital was associated with higher purchases of overall psychotropic medications in a dose-response manner (low-versus-high: HR=1.32, 95% CI=1.05-1.65), but this effect attenuated after adjusting for individual-level workplace social capital (HR=1.14, 95% CI=0.88-1.46). Low work-unit social capital was associated with higher purchases of antidepressants (HR=1.78, 95% CI=1.16-2.73) even after adjusting for individual-level workplace social capital (HR=1.69, 95% CI=1.05-2.73).

LIMITATIONS

Medical doctors/dentists were underrepresented in the data on workplace social capital.

CONCLUSIONS

Low work-unit social capital may be associated with higher use of antidepressants among healthcare employees. Interventions to improve social capital could potentially promote mental health at work in the healthcare setting.

A Pilot Study of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Improve Well-Being for Health Professionals Providing Chronic Disease Care

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy delivered onsite during work hours in reducing stress and improving well-being in an interdisciplinary chronic care health care team.

STUDY DESIGN

A longitudinal, mixed methods, observational pilot study using a survey created from validated assessment tools to measure effectiveness of training. Surveys were completed before training, and 1 and 15 months after training. Twenty-four professionals in the cystic fibrosis Centers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University of Cincinnati participated in 6 mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training sessions. Sessions incorporated mindfulness, cognitive therapy, and experiential exercises for processing feelings related to stress and burnout.

RESULTS

The presurvey and 1-month postsurvey responses revealed statistically significant improvements for empathy, perceived stress, depersonalization, anxiety, perspective taking, resilience, and negative affect. Sustained effects were seen at 15 months for empathy, perspective taking, and depressive symptoms. The 1-month post-training surveys reported a quarter of respondents (25%) practiced skills at least 5 times in between sessions; at 15 months, 35% reported practicing at the same frequency. Participants reported using mindfulness skills for personal stressful events (74%), work-related general stress (65%), patient-related stress (30%), sleep or general relaxation (22%), and wellness (13%).

CONCLUSIONS

Group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy training was feasible and effective in decreasing stress for interdisciplinary cystic fibrosis care team members who elected to participate. Further investigation is needed to determine optimal dose of training, durability of perceived benefits, and generalizability to health care professionals working with other chronic disorders.

Relationship between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan: a cross-sectional study

Background

A growing body of evidence has demonstrated the associations between social capital and health. In residential or geographical areas, social capital has attracted attention for its protective effects against suicide. However, to this date, the relationship between social capital and suicidal ideation is not fully elaborated in the occupational setting. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan.

Methods

A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted in February/March 2017 via an anonymous self-administered questionnaire distributed to workers in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Binomial logistic regressions were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for suicidal ideation in the past year, controlling for age group, marital status, educational attainment, and annual household income. The results were shown stratified by sex and occupation.

Results

In total, 7255 of 19,481 workers responded, out of which we could analyze 6325 responses (4030 men, 2295 women). The prevalence of suicidal ideation in the past year was 5.9% for men and 7.8% for women. Low workplace social capital was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation both for men (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.72–3.83) and for women (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.15–2.66), compared with high workplace social capital after controlling for socioeconomic factors.

Conclusion

Higher workplace social capital was associated with a reduced risk of suicidal ideation in the past year. Promoting workplace social capital could contribute to preventing suicide among employees in Japan.