Association between flourishing mental health and occupational stress among workers of Tsukuba Science City, Japan: a cross-sectional study

Measuring the impact of becoming a health-promoting campus: Creating a comprehensive evaluation model

OBJECTIVE

As more institutions adopt the Okanagan Charter (2015) to become health-promoting campuses, the question of how to effectively evaluate the impact of this work remains key. This article describes the development of an evaluation model designed to measure the collective impact of embedding holistic health into all aspects of campus culture.

METHODS

Drawing from social cognitive, social ecological, and organizational change frameworks, the evaluation model provides a tiered, mixed-methods approach for assessing the impact of cross-sector health-promoting programs, policies, and campus culture change on student well-being.

RESULTS

We review the evaluation model with corresponding research questions, case examples, and key indicators that can be adopted at other institutions to provide a flexible, scalable, and sustainable approach to monitoring campus health and well-being over time.

CONCLUSIONS

This work responds to increasing calls to develop concrete frameworks to translate the principles of health-promoting campus work into equitable and sustainable action.

Positive childhood experiences on flourishing mediated by meaning in life in Chinese undergraduate nursing students: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To examine the associations of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) with positive mental well-being (i.e. meaning in life and flourishing) in Chinese undergraduate nursing students. The mediation effect of meaning in life on the association between PCEs and flourishing was investigated.

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems, such as high stress, have been prevalent in nursing students. Less is known about positive well-being that could be independent of mental health problems.

DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional study in Chinese nursing students of age ≥ 18 years enrolled in either three-year associate degree or four-year bachelor's degree program at 25 different universities across mainland China.

METHODS

PCEs were measured using the 10-item Benevolent Childhood Experiences scale on perceived relational and internal safety and security, positive and predictable quality of life, and interpersonal support by age 18. Measures of positive mental well-being included the Secure Flourish Index on flourishing and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire on presence of meaning and searching for meaning. Associations were analyzed using multivariable linear regression adjusting for perceived stress.

RESULTS

Of 2105 participants, 87.7% were female, the mean [SD] age was 19.8 [1.6] years. More PCEs were associated with higher flourishing (adjusted b=6.82, 95% CI 6.23, 7.41, β = 0.44), presence of meaning (adjusted b=0.91, 95% CI 0.75, 1.06, β = 0.24), and searching for meaning (adjusted b=0.67, 95% CI 0.49, 0.84, β = 0.17). Presence of meaning (indirect effect: adjusted b=1.57, 95% CI 1.27, 1.89) and searching for meaning (indirect effect: adjusted b=0.84, 95% CI 0.60, 1.08) partially mediated 23% and 12% of the association between PCEs and flourishing, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

PCEs showed dose-response associations with meaning in life and flourishing in Chinese undergraduate nursing students, and the associations remained independent of perceived stress. The association between PCEs and flourishing was mediated through meaning in life. Higher meaning of life and flourishing associated with more PCEs highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and early screening of PCEs in nursing schools. The mediation effects of meaning in life warranted targeted interventions for helping students with fewer PCEs to flourish.

Characteristics and influencing factors of early childhood teachers’ work stress and burnout: A comparative study between China, Ghana, and Pakistan

Introduction

Many studies have documented the stress and burnout experienced by early childhood teachers. However, few have focused on comparisons among countries, particularly developing ones. Meanwhile, female teachers, who are more sensitive and tend to provide emotional responses, are often overlooked as a major force of emotional involvement. This study examined the similarities and differences of early childhood teachers’ stress, burnout, and gender in China, Ghana, and Pakistan.

Methods

This study adopted a cross-sectional design. The participants included 945 preschool and lower primary school teachers recruited from Zhejiang Province in China, the Ashanti Region in Ghana, and Punjab, Pakistan. The analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling. First, the study estimated all parameters separately and without constraints between the groups for all models. Second, the study compared the latent mean difference and of stressors and burnout between teachers’ personal and job characteristics. Third, a structural equation model was used to assess the relationship between teachers’ stressors and burnout.

Results

Across the three countries, female teachers are more stressed out, with higher emotional demands and work-family conflicts, and are more prone to burnout with a greater level of emotional exhaustion and a lower level of personal accomplishments than their male counterparts are. Moreover, Chinese teachers were found to be the most stressed-out group with the highest level of burnout. In comparison to teachers in China and Pakistan, early childhood teachers in Ghana possess the lowest level of emotional demands. With the lowest level of emotional exhaustion and the highest level of personal accomplishments, Pakistani teachers were unlikely to experience burnout.

Discussion

This study comparatively analyzed the characteristics of stress and burnout among ECTs in different cultural settings and educational systems in three developing countries (China, Ghana, and Pakistan), and revealed workplace characteristics and circumstances for ECTs. In addition, this study takes gender as the main influencing factor and explores its effect on ECTs’ stress and burnout, and it highlights and verifies "emotionality" in ECTs' profession. As a result, policymakers and stakeholders in different countries may be encouraged to improve ECE quality and the well-being of ECTs.

The Association between Occupational Stress and Mental Health among Chinese Soccer Referees in the Early Stage of Reopening Soccer Matches during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Moderated Mediation Model

BACKGROUND

The sudden and unpredictable changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are a serious threat to the occupational stress and mental health of referees worldwide, which has not attracted widespread attention. The mental health of football referees has a certain influence on their job satisfaction or the accuracy of judgments.

METHODS

This study constructed a moderated mediation model to explore the buffer factors between occupational stress and mental health in Chinese soccer referees in the early stage of reopening soccer matches during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Data from 317 Chinese soccer referees (aged 19-45) were collected through an online questionnaire in September-October 2022. Occupational stress, mental health, job burnout and perceived social support were measured, and moderated mediation model was analyzed.

RESULTS

The results of this study showed that occupational stress was negatively correlated with mental health through the mediating effect of job burnout and the moderated effect of perceived social support after controlling for demographic variables. Specifically, the association between occupational stress and mental health was weaker when perceived social support was higher and stronger.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that job burnout and perceived social support played important roles in buffering the negative effects of occupational stress on the mental health of Chinese soccer referees in the early stage of reopening soccer matches during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The findings provide implications for mental health interventions in soccer referees during the public health crises.

Association of psychological symptoms with job burnout and occupational stress among coal miners in Xinjiang, China: A cross-sectional study

Objective

The study aimed to investigate the influencing factors of psychological symptoms in relation to job burnout and occupational stress among coal miners in Xinjiang, so as to provide data support for enterprises in an effort to help them identify internal psychological risk factors and improve the mental health of coal miners.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 12 coal mines were selected using the stratified cluster random sampling method and 4,109 coal miners were investigated by means of online electronic questionnaires. The Symptoms Check List-90 (SCL-90), Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (CMBI), and Job Demand-Control (JDC) model were respectively used to measure the status of psychological symptoms, job burnout, and occupational stress among coal miners. The mediation analysis was performed through structural equation modeling (SEM) by using Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS).

Results

The prevalence of psychological symptoms was higher in the occupational stress group than in the non-occupational stress group, and increased with job burnout (P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that mild (OR = 1.401, 95% CL: 1.165, 1.685), moderate (OR = 2.190, 95% CL: 1.795, 2.672), or severe levels of burnout (OR = 6.102, 95% CL: 3.481, 10.694) and occupational stress (OR = 1.462, 95% CL: 1.272, 1.679) were risk factors for psychological symptoms in coal miners. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that occupational stress (β = 0.11, P = 0.002) and job burnout (β = 0.46, P = 0.002) had significant positive direct effects on psychological symptoms, and job burnout was an intermediate variable between occupational stress and psychological symptoms.

Conclusion

High levels of job burnout and occupational stress were risk factors for psychological symptoms. Both occupational stress and job burnout had direct effects on psychological symptoms, and occupational stress could also have an indirect effect on coal miners' psychological symptoms through the intermediate variable of job burnout.

Mediation of Self-Compassion on Pathways from Stress to Psychopathologies among Japanese Workers

As awareness of mental health increases worldwide, how to improve mental health has begun to be discussed in many countries. Stress is known to cause diverse physical and mental health problems, including psychopathologies. On the other hand, our previous studies identified that self-compassion, kindness and understanding towards oneself are key components for good mental health in many populations, including Japanese workers. The government reports that Japanese workers suffer from high rates of mental health problems. However, the mechanism of how self-compassion helps their mental health remains to be evaluated. Accordingly, this study aimed to elucidate how self-compassion intervenes in pathways from stress to psychopathologies, namely depression and anxiety. One hundred and sixty-five Japanese workers completed an online survey regarding self-compassion, depression, anxiety and stress. Correlation and path analyses were conducted. These four variables were significantly inter-related. While self-compassion mediated the pathway from stress to depression, it did not mediate the pathway from stress to anxiety. These exploratory insights assist in understanding the mechanism of how self-compassion improves mental health and inform effective methods to implement self-compassion interventions to the Japanese workforce.

Development of the Japanese Version of the Self-Endangering Work Behavior (J-SEWB) Scale

Objective

The concept of self-endangering work behavior (SEWB) was recently proposed to describe problematic behaviors to cope with heavy workloads and self-management. Although SEWB may enable workers to achieve immediate goals, it risks health and long-term work capacity. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of the SEWB (J-SEWB) scale, which was originally in German, and verified its validity and reliability.

Materials

The original SEWB scale consisted of 21 items, constituting five subscales: "Intensification of working hours," "Prolongation/extension of working hours," "Refraining from recovery/leisure activities," "Working despite illness," and "Use of stimulating substances." We translated the scale into Japanese, then checked the wording using back-translation.

Methods

The J-SEWB scale and questions for working conditions and sociodemographic variables was administered via an online survey with 600 participants registered with an internet survey company in Japan. Cronbach's α coefficients were calculated for each subscale to assess internal consistency. Construct validity was examined using principal factor analysis with equamax rotation. An analysis of variance evaluated the relationships of J-SEWB scores with working conditions and sociodemographic variables.

Results

Cronbach's α coefficients ranged from 0.846 to 0.964 for five subscales, and 0.957 for all 21 items (total J-SEWB score) in 600 participants. The factor analysis identified five factors, classifying 21 items into corresponding subscales. Total J-SEWB scores were significantly higher for flexible work as well as longer working hours.

Conclusions

The J-SEWB scale appears to be an effective tool for assessing SEWB in Japanese employees, with satisfactory reliability and construct validity.

Higher exposure to childhood adversity associates with lower adult flourishing

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and associated with negative health and social outcomes. However, our understanding of how patterns of ACEs exposure relate to positive outcomes in adulthood remains limited. This study aims to identify patterns of ACEs and examine associations with flourishing in a sample of Chinese young adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2020. Young adults, ages 18–35, enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs at universities in Mainland China were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling to participate in a survey. The exposure to ACEs was measured by the twelve-item Chinese version of the ACE-International Questionnaire. Additional measures included six domains of flourishing assessed using the Chinese version of the Flourishing Measure, and demographic covariates (i.e., gender, age, year in university, marital status). Descriptive statistical analysis and latent class analysis (LCA) were performed using SPSS 27 and Mplus 8.5.

Results

Participants included 9468 young adults (mean age = 20.1 years). Majority of participants were female (75.3%), undergraduate students (96.4%), and single (79.8%). Approximately 56% of participants reported at least one ACE; 7.0% reported four or more ACEs. Emotional neglect (33.2%), household violence (20.6%), and parental separation/divorce (13.9%) were the most frequently reported ACEs. LCA identified three ACEs classes: multiple maltreatment and household violence (4.7%), emotional neglect and household violence (16.2%), and low ACEs (79.1%). Individuals in the low ACEs class had the highest level of flourishing whereas individuals in multiple maltreatment and household violence had the lowest level of flourishing in all six domains. There were no significant differences in flourishing between the multiple maltreatment and household violence and the emotional neglect and household violence classes except in the physical and mental health (means = 6.17 vs 6.51, p = 0.02) and the financial and material stability domains (means = 5.25 vs 5.66, p = 0.04).

Conclusions

Patterns of multiple ACEs exposures were associated with lower levels of flourishing. Our findings have implications for efforts to prevent ACEs exposure through monitoring and promoting family well-being and routine screening to identify those with ACEs exposure to prevent negative social and health sequelae.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13063-6.

Morning preference is associated with subjective happiness among Japanese female workers: A moderation analysis by sleep characteristics from the SLEPT study

Research on mental health in working populations has predominantly focussed on negative outcomes, while studies on the positive aspects of life remain very limited, especially in Japan. Although morningness has recently been considered a factor for being happy, the role of sleep characteristics as it relates to the association between morningness and happiness has not been substantiated. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between diurnal preference and level of subjective happiness in healthy, full-time, daytime workers in Japan. We also tested the moderation effect of sleep parameters on the relationship between diurnal preference and subjective happiness. This is an exploratory analysis from the cross-sectional data of the SLeep Epidemiology Project at the University of Tsukuba (SLEPT Study). Subjective happiness was evaluated using a single-item question. Diurnal preference was assessed using the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), in which higher scores indicate greater tendency to have morning preference. The participants underwent assessment of sleep parameters for 7 consecutive days using a waist-worn actigraphy device and kept a sleep diary. Sleep parameters investigated were subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbance, daytime sleepiness, weekend oversleep, total sleep time, sleep onset time, wake time, and sleep efficiency. A total of 205 males (average 42.6 ± 10.4 years) and 272 females (41.1 ± 9.8 years) were eligible for analysis. Hierarchical liner regression analysis was used to show the relationships of subjective happiness with MEQ score, and the sleep parameters. Further, moderation analysis was conducted by adding the interaction between MEQ score and the sleep parameters. After adjusting for age, psychological distress, self-rated health, and occupational stress, we found that subjective happiness was significantly associated with higher MEQ score and sleep efficiency but only in female. The moderating role of sleep parameters was not found. We discussed the implications of the obtained results and a possible strategy to maintain and improve subjective happiness of female workers who have evening preference.

The relationship between occupational stress, mental health and work ability of coal chemical workers in Xinjiang

OBJECTIVE

To understand the current working ability of coal chemical workers in Xinjiang, and analyze the impact of occupational stress, mental disorders, and their interaction on work ability. To provide a scientific basis for improving the working ability and quality of life of coal chemical workers.

METHODS

In this study, a stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey of 1,400 workers in six coal mining enterprises from June to December 2019. The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI), the Symptoms Checklist 90 (SCL-90), and the Work Ability Index Scale (WAI) were used to evaluate the level of occupational stress, mental disorders, and the ability to work as coal chemical workers.

RESULTS

The results showed that WAI scores had statistically significant differences between gender, age, length of service, shift, education, marital status, and monthly income (P < 0.05). The ability to work and its dimensions were inversely correlated with occupational stress, and mental disorders (P < 0.001). Occupational stress and mental disorders are risk factors affecting the ability to work. Workers with high occupational stress^* mental disorders (OR = 10.666, 95% CI: 6.443-17.658) are 10.666 times more likely to be at risk for developing poor work ability than low occupational stress^* no mental disorders. Structural equation models show that occupational stress and mental health conditions had a direct impact on work ability, and mental health conditions were the mediators of the relationship between occupational stress and work ability.

CONCLUSION

Occupational stress, mental disorders, and their interaction are risk factors affecting the ability of coal chemical workers to work. Occupational stress can indirectly affect the ability to work through mental health conditions.

When Work Conflicts With Personal Projects: The Association of Work-Life Conflict With Worker Wellbeing and the Mediating Role of Mindfulness

The negative emotional and health effects of work-life conflict (WLC) have been demonstrated in numerous studies regarding organizational psychology and occupational health. However, little is known about WLC's relationship with positive wellbeing outcomes, including emotional, psychological, and social aspects of workers' thriving. Furthermore, the mediating processes underlying the effects of WLC remain mostly unknown. The current study investigated the associations of perceived time- and strain-based WLC with positive mental health and thriving at work, as well as the mediating role of mindfulness in these associations. It is argued that WLC causes reduced mindfulness capacities among workers, which is in turn associated with lower positive wellbeing given the importance of mindfulness in emotion regulation. A sample of 330 workers based in Québec, Canada, completed an online survey including a measure of strain- and time-based interference with personal projects (i.e., the goals and activities that define the daily life of an individual) and validated scales of wellbeing outcomes and mindfulness. Results of structural equation modeling revealed negative associations between time- and strain-based WLC with positive mental health and thriving at work. Work-life conflict was related to lower mindfulness, which played a mediating role in the associations between time-based WLC with positive mental health and thriving at work, as well as strain-based WLC with positive mental health. The mediation was complete for the time-based WLC and positive mental health association, but partial for the other mediated pathways, highlighting the need for more research to identify additional mediators. These results highlight that beyond resulting in negative emotional/health outcomes often studied in previous research, WLC may be associated with workers' reduced potential to live a fulfilling life, in general and in the workplace. Recommendations (e.g., mindfulness intervention to promote emotional regulation, personal project intervention) for workplace policymakers and practitioners are identified.

Research on the Effects of Occupational Stress and the DRD2 Gene on the Psychological Health of Workers in the Xinjiang Desert Oil Field

Background: This study investigated the relationship between occupational stress and the mental health of people working in oil fields in the arid desert environment of Xinjiang, and revealed the causal relationship between occupational stress and psychological disorders, while furthermore exploring the relationship between psychological disorders and genetic levels. Methods: The participants of this study included oil field company workers from the Xinjiang Petroleum Administration of Karamay City, Xinjiang, who underwent occupational health examinations. The Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition (OSI-R) was used to measure the occupational stress of the oil workers. The mental health status of oil workers was evaluated using the Symptoms Checklist-90. Results: Occupational tasks: The total scores of the personal strain and mental health questionnaires were positively correlated with somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, terror, paranoia, and psychosis (P < 0.05). Individual coping resources and the mental health total score was negatively correlated with somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, hostility, terror, paranoia, and psychosis. The following factors were identified as mental health risk factors: female gender; age 45 and above (relative to ≤30 years old); high scores on the personal strain questionnaire; occupational stress; external effort; internal investment; and high effort-low return. The following factors were identified as protective factors for mental health: Han nationality; oil transportation (relative to drilling); individual resilience; and work returns. In respect to the abnormal psychological group and the normal psychological group, statistically significant differences were found in the distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies at the rs1800497 locus (P < 0.05). The depression and paranoia scores observed between different genotype groups at the rs1800497 locus were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study shows that occupational stress and the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) gene have an impact on the mental health of oil field workers in the arid desert environment of Xinjiang. Effort-reward imbalance and occupational stress were identified as risk factors for mental health, while rewards for work were protective factors. Higher levels of occupational stress may lead to depression and other psychological disorders, adversely affecting mental health. In oil field operators in the arid desert environment of Xinjiang, the AA genotype of the DRD2 gene in the rs1800497 locus was identified as a genotype specific to susceptibility to mental health problems, and a correlation was found between the A allele and an increased risk of psychological problems. Therefore, it is necessary to devise relevant measures to alleviate occupational stress among oil workers and increase their job rewards, so as to improve their mental health.