Challenge and hindrance stressors in relation to sleep

Psychological resilience and associated factors in caring for mass burn patients among rescue nurses: A cross-sectional study

This current study explored the relationship between challenge-hindrance stressors, coping style, and psychological resilience among rescue nurses caring for mass burn patients.

METHODS

This study is multicenter and cross-sectional. Registered nurses who saved and cared for extensively burned patients at two tertiary hospitals in mainland China between January and August of 2023 were selected through purposeful sampling. Online surveys were used to gather data. Multiple linear regression and Pearson correlation were used to examine the link between challenge-hindrance stressors, coping style, and psychological resilience.

RESULTS

121 nurses completed the online questionnaires. The mean score for psychological resilience was 63.80 ± 11.63, for the challenge-stressor 16.23 ± 4.38, and for hindrance-stressor 9.85 ± 3.89. The total score for positive coping style was 23.69 ± 7.73, and that for the negative coping style 11.45 ± 5.21. Pearson analysis showed total resilience score was positively correlated with challenge stressors (r = 0.697, p＜0.05) and positive coping style (r = 0.616, p＜0.05), and negatively correlated with the hindrance stressors (r = -0.512, p＜0.05) and negative coping style (r = -0.589, p＜0.05) among rescuer nurses. Multiple linear regression analyses identified that having attended rescues before, challenge-hindrance, and coping style are the potential influencing factors of resilience.

CONCLUSION

In mass burns accidents, rescuer nurses have a medium level of psychological resilience, which positively and significantly correlated with challenge stressors and positive coping style. It is suggested that more attention should be devoted to the target population to formulate effective intervention plans, reduce psychological impact, and improve their capacity for coping with disasters.

Psychophysiological coherence training to moderate air traffic controllers' fatigue on rotating roster

The nature of the current rotating roster, providing 24-h air traffic services over five irregular shifts, leads to accumulated fatigue which impairs air traffic controllers' cognitive function and task performance. It is imperative to develop an effective fatigue risk management system to improve aviation safety based upon scientific approaches. Two empirical studies were conducted to address this issue. Study 1 investigated the mixed effect of circadian rhythm disorders and resource depletion on controllers' accumulated fatigue. Then, study 2 proposed a potential biofeedback solution of quick coherence technique which can mitigate air traffic controllers' (ATCOs') fatigue while on controller working position and improve ATCOs' mental/physical health. The current two-studies demonstrated a scientific approach to fatigue analysis and fatigue risk mitigation in the air traffic services domain. This research offers insights into the fluctuation of ATCO fatigue levels and the influence of a numbers of factors related to circadian rhythm and resource depletion impact on fatigue levels on study 1; and provides psychophysiological coherence training to increase ATCOs' fatigue resilience to mitigate negative impacts of fatigue on study 2. Based on these two studies, the authors recommended that an extra short break for air traffic controllers to permit practicing the quick coherence breathing technique for 5 min at the sixth working hour could substantially recharge cognitive resources and increase fatigue resilience. Application: Present studies highlight an effective fatigue intervention based on objective biofeedback to moderate controllers' accumulated fatigue as a result of rotating shift work. Accordingly, air navigation services providers and regulators can develop fatigue risk management systems based on scientific approaches to improve aviation safety and air traffic controller's wellbeing.

Daily association of stressors with perceived cognitive performance: Moderating role of age

Stress can elicit both positive and negative impacts on cognition. Less is known about whether and how daily stressors are associated with perceived cognitive performance in healthcare workers. We examined daily associations between stressors and perceived cognitive performance in nurses and whether these associations differed by age or nursing tenure. Using 14-day smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment, 60 inpatient nurses at a U.S. cancer hospital reported the frequency and severity of daily stressors (e.g., arguments, accidents). Each day, participants subjectively evaluated their mental focus, memory, and processing speed. Multilevel modelling examined the within- and between-person associations of daily stressors with cognitive performance. More stressors were associated with poorer perceived cognitive performance at both within- and between-person levels for both daily stressor frequency and severity. For moderation by age, the within-person stressor severity-cognitive performance relationship was only significant for nurses who were younger, but not for those who were older. Similarly, the within-person associations of daily stressor frequency and severity with cognitive performance were only significant for nurses with a shorter tenure. Findings suggest daily stressors may degrade perceived cognitive performance in nurses and the impact may be stronger for those who are younger or with less experience on the job.

The Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework: An Integrative Conceptual Review and Path Forward

Research on the topic of stressful workplace demands (stressors) has a long and rich history in psychology and management. Today, the challenge-hindrance stressor framework (CHSF) represents one of the key theoretical models of stress through which scholars understand workplace stressors and their effects on individuals with respect to a broad array of proximal and more distal criteria. Although the CHSF has been used in over two decades of research on issues surrounding the effects of stressors, and despite several meta-analyses which have quantitatively summarized and theoretically extended this work, we lack an integrated picture of how the findings from all this research fits together. This not only thwarts the accumulation of knowledge, but it also masks important issues in need of study and hinders the application of knowledge to improve practice. The purpose of this review is to provide a broad overview of the CHSF, and to facilitate a more cohesive understanding of the literature. The review synthesizes the literature to produce an integrative heuristic, speaks to criticisms of the CHSF in light of research evidence, and presents a road map for future research.

Unemployed Individuals Reporting Hindrance Work Stress at Previous Job Have Increased Likelihood of Insomnia Disorder

BACKGROUND

Workplace stress and unemployment are each associated with disturbances in sleep. However, a substantial gap exists in what we know about the type of workplace stress preceding job loss and the lasting effect workplace stressors may have on long-term health outcomes. We hypothesized that a specific type of workplace stress, hindrance stress, would be a stronger predictor of current insomnia disorder, compared to challenge stress.

METHOD

Cross-sectional data were analyzed from 191 recently unemployed individuals participating in the ongoing Assessing Daily Patterns through occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study. Participants were administered the Cavanaugh et al. (J Appl Psychol. 85(1):65, 2000) self-reported work stress scale regarding their previous job and the Duke Sleep Interview (DSI-SD), a semi-structured interview assessing ICSD-3 insomnia disorder (chronic and acute).

RESULTS

Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that hindrance work stress was associated with an increased likelihood of current overall, chronic, and acute insomnia disorder, when controlling for challenge stress and significant demographic factors. Challenge stress was associated with an increased likelihood of chronic insomnia disorder when controlling for hindrance stress and covariates. The association between challenge stress and acute insomnia differed as a function of sex.

CONCLUSION

Hindrance work stressors were associated with increased odds of current insomnia disorder, even after employment ended. Across each of the tested models, hindrance stress had stronger effects on insomnia than challenge stress. These findings support and extend both the challenge-hindrance framework of work-related stress and the 3 P model of insomnia.

Beyond single sleep measures: A composite measure of sleep health and its associations with psychological and physical well-being in adulthood

RATIONALE

Sleep is important for many functions including body and mind restoration. Studies report the association of sleep with stress and physical deterioration, often focusing only on sleep duration; yet, sleep health needs to be understood by multiple dimensions to comprehensively capture its impact on well-being.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of multidimensional sleep health with perceived stress and chronic physical conditions.

METHODS

We used a sample of 441 adults (M age = 57 years) who participated in the biomarker project of the Midlife in the United States Study. Participants provided self-report and actigraphy sleep data in 2004-2009 (T1). We created a composite score of sleep health (Range = 0-6; higher indicating more sleep problems) encompassing: actigraphy-measured regularity, timing, efficiency, duration, and self-reported satisfaction and alertness. Participants responded to the perceived stress scale and chronic physical conditions checklist at T1; chronic physical conditions were reassessed in 2013-2015 (T2).

RESULTS

Cross-sectionally, a composite score of sleep health problems was uniquely associated with higher perceived stress and more chronic conditions, explaining additional variance that each individual sleep variable did not explain. Sleep duration - one of the most commonly researched dimensions of sleep - was not associated with either perceived stress or chronic conditions. Longitudinally, for individuals who had fewer chronic conditions at T1, having more sleep health problems was associated with an increase in chronic conditions at T2. Among the multiple dimensions, sleep satisfaction was most consistently and strongly associated with the outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest the importance of considering multiple sleep dimensions concerning psychological and physical well-being in adulthood.

Unraveling the fuzzy predictors of stress at work

Purpose

This study aims to identify and rank the significant determinants of stress among tourism and hospitality employees.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach is used to identify and rank workplace stressors. Particularly, the synthesis of relative literature and interview with the panel of experts resulted in the preliminary identification of workplace stressors. Underpinned by fuzzy theory, in addition, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is used to rank identified criteria and relative sub-criteria.

Findings

Results of three-wave investigation lead to an index comprising key components and weighted ranking of workplace stressors in the tourism and hospitality industry with job characteristics as the most important criteria and mental demand as the most salient sub-criteria influencing stress at work.

Research limitations/implications

The pattern of findings enhances the current knowledge regarding significant workplace stressors in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Practical implications

Compositional framework and the weight-based ranking of identified components may act as a source of strategic solution for managers to reduce and manage stress among employees.

Originality/value

Workplace stressors have attracted considerable research attention, however, no general consensus yet exists among scholars and practitioners conferring to the key composition and relative importance of workplace stressors.