Risk of psychological ill health and methods of organisational downsizing: a cross-sectional survey in four European countries

Health, Education, and Economic Well-Being in China: How Do Human Capital and Social Interaction Influence Economic Returns

In developing countries, it is generally believed that a good health status and education (human capital) bring economic well-being and benefits. Some researchers have found that there are overall financial returns and income premiums correlated with human capital because of its excellent and higher ability. Due to different views and a lack of consensus, the role of human capital is still ambiguous and poorly understood. This study investigates the economic returns of health status, education level, and social interaction, that is, whether and how human capital and social interaction affect employment and income premiums. Using the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) for specification bias, we used the instrumental variable (IV) approach to specify the endogeneity and interaction effect in order to identify the impact and economic returns of human capital and social interaction on the values of other control and observed variables. However, we show that an individual with strong and higher human capital positively affects economic returns, but the variability of these estimates differs across estimators. Being more socially interactive is regarded as a type of social interaction but as not human capital in the labor market; thus, the empirical findings of this study reflect social stability and that the economic well-being of socially active individuals is an advantaged situation. Furthermore, men with substantial human capital and social interaction are in a more advantaged position compared to women with similar abilities.

Individual and organisational factors in the psychosocial work environment are associated with home care staffs' job strain: a Swedish cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Home care staff (HCS) provide essential service to enable older adults to age in place. However, unreasonable demands in the work environment to deliver a safe, effective service with high quality has a negative impact on the individual employee's well-being and the care provided to the older adults. The psychosocial work environment is associated with employees´ well-being, although, knowledge regarding which individual and organisational factors that contribute to job strain for HCS is limited. These factors need to be identified to develop targeted interventions and create sustainable work situations for HCS. This study aimed to explore how HCS´s perceived job strain is associated with, and to what extent can be explained by, individual and organisational factors of the psychosocial work environment and psychosomatic health.

METHOD

An explorative cross-sectional questionnaire survey design was used in a large Swedish county. Five home care agencies with a total of 481 HCS were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their perceived level of job strain (Strain in Dementia Care Scale), psychosocial work environment (QPS_Nordic³⁴⁺), and psychosomatic health (Satisfaction with Work Questionnaire). Multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses were conducted to explore the association between job strain and individual and organisational factors.

RESULTS

In total, 226 (46%) HCS responded to the questionnaire. Both individual and organisational factors were significant predictors of job strain and explained a variance ranging between 39 to 51% (p = 0.001). The organisational factor job demand and the individual factor feeling worried and restless was most frequently represented in these MRL models. A higher job strain was also associated with adverse outcomes regarding leadership, organisational culture and climate, and control at work.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that there is an intertwined complexity of individual and organisational factors that are associated with the HCS´s perception of job strain. Implementation of new multidimensional work strategies, such as a reablement approach, could support the development of efficient strategies for HCS and reduce the level of job strain. Policy changes for the provision of home care are also needed to support the development of a sustainable and healthy psychosocial work environment.

ASSIST: a reablement program for older adults in Sweden - a feasibility study

Background

Western countries emphasise the provision of assistive home care by implementing reablement services. Reablement services are offered to a limited degree in Sweden, and systematic research regarding outcomes and how reablement can be tailored to maximize benefits for older adults has been lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a novel reablement program (ASSIST 1.0) regarding study design and outcome measures, as well as fidelity, adherence, and acceptability of the program in a Swedish context.

Method

A non-randomised, quasi-experimental, mixed-method, pre/post-test design was applied with an intervention group receiving ASSIST 1.0 (n = 7) and a control group receiving regular home care (n = 10). ASSIST 1.0 was developed to empower older adults to increase their perceived performance and satisfaction of performing activities in everyday life as well as increase their perceived health, self-efficacy, and well-being. ASSIST 1.0 was founded on the concept of reablement and included three components: i) goal setting with The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), ii) provided support to home care staff to enhance their provision of reablement, and iii) explored the incorporation and use of an information- and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate information transfer.

Results

Using COPM for goal setting with older adults and providing support to the staff via workshops were valuable components in the delivery of ASSIST 1.0. The ICT product encountered several challenges and could not be evaluated. COPM and EQ-5D were deemed the most important instruments. Organisational and political barriers affected the feasibility. Although, the fidelity and adherence were complied the staff perceived the program to be acceptable.

Conclusion

The ASSIST 1.0 program was feasible in regard of study design, delivering the intervention, and evaluating instruments that detected a change. A logical progression would be to conduct a full-scale trial. In addition, a usability study to evaluate the technological component is also recommended. With minor improvements, the ASSIST 1.0 program has the potential to contribute to the development of a home care organisation that could enhance older adults possibility to age in place at home.

Trial registration number

NCT03505619

Association of changes in work due to COVID-19 pandemic with psychosocial work environment and employee health: a cohort study of 24 299 Finnish public sector employees

OBJECTIVES

To examine the associations of COVID-19-related changes in work with perceptions of psychosocial work environment and employee health.

METHODS

In a cohort of 24 299 Finnish public sector employees, psychosocial work environment and employee well-being were assessed twice before (2016 and 2018=reference period) and once during (2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who reported a change (='Exposed') in work due to the pandemic (working from home, new tasks or team reorganisation) were compared with those who did not report such change (='Non-exposed').

RESULTS

After adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status and lifestyle risk score, working from home (44%) was associated with greater increase in worktime control (standardised mean difference (SMD)Exposed=0.078, 95% CI 0.066 to 0.090; SMDNon-exposed=0.025, 95% CI 0.014 to 0.036), procedural justice (SMDExposed=0.101, 95% CI 0.084 to 0.118; SMDNon-exposed=0.053, 95% CI 0.038 to 0.068), workplace social capital (SMDExposed=0.094, 95% CI 0.077 to 0.110; SMDNon-exposed=0.034, 95% CI 0.019 to 0.048), less decline in self-rated health (SMDExposed=-0.038, 95% CI -0.054 to -0.022; SMDNon-exposed=-0.081, 95% CI -0.095 to -0.067), perceived work ability (SMDExposed=-0.091, 95% CI -0.108 to -0.074; SMDNon-exposed=-0.151, 95% CI -0.167 to -0.136) and less increase in psychological distress (risk ratio (RR)Exposed=1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.09; RRNon-exposed=1.16, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.20). New tasks (6%) were associated with greater increase in psychological distress (RRExposed=1.28, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.39; RRNon-exposed=1.10, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.12) and team reorganisation (5%) with slightly steeper decline in perceived work ability (SMDExposed=-0.151 95% CI -0.203 to -0.098; SMDNon-exposed=-0.124, 95% CI -0.136 to -0.112).

CONCLUSION

Employees who worked from home during the pandemic had more favourable psychosocial work environment and health, whereas those who were exposed to work task changes and team reorganisations experienced more adverse changes.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student' sleep patterns, sexual activity, screen use, and food intake: A global survey

Background

The education sector experienced substantial impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic resulting from worldwide restrictions.

Purpose

To examine differences in the sleep patterns, sexual activity, screen use, and food intake of students and non-students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This was a global cross-sectional study conducted in the second half of 2020 using multiple social media platforms to recruit study participants globally. A close-ended questionnaire was administered anonymously in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic to adults ages 18 and older. The outcome variables considered in analyses were changes in sleep pattern, sexual activity, screen use, and food intake. The explanatory variable was student status categorized as students vs. non-student. T-test, chi-square, and Mann Whitney U tests were used to assess differences between student and non-student populations. One logistic regression model was built for each outcome variable. Country of residence and country income level were included in the adjusted models.

Results

There were 17,008 participants of which 3,793 (22.3%) were students. Of the total sample, 4,889 (28.7%) reported changes in sleep, 4,642 (31.8%) reported increases in sexual activity, 10,278 (70.7%) reported increases in screen use, and 5,662 (40.2%) reported increases in food intake during the pandemic. Compared to non-students, students had significantly higher odds of reporting changes in sleep (AOR = 1.52), increases in sexual activity (AOR = 1.79), and increases in screen use (AOR = 1.36) but lower odds of reporting increase in food intake (AOR = 0.87).

Conclusion

Students displayed higher risk of experiencing changes in sleep, sexual behavior, and screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has the potential to lead to broader adverse effects on students’ overall wellbeing. The findings and implications raise further obligations on the education sector to put extra-curricular support systems in place that address COVID-19 related behavior changes that have the potential to adversely impact students’ wellbeing.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Employment Returns to Education and Health Status in China: Moderating Role of Gender

Based on the nationally representative sample data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS-2015), this study examines the relationship of education levels and health status with an individual's probability of being employed in China. The findings obtained from the binary logistic regression estimator suggest that people with a higher level of education were more likely to be employed than those who have less or no education. The individual with university or above education was found to be 85% more likely to be employed than college or equal diploma holders. Further, the healthier individual was found to be 11% more likely to be employed than relatively less healthy. Moreover, the resulting coefficients obtained from the moderation effect suggest that all of the two-way interaction effects among health status and education levels with gender are not statistically significant even at the 10% level. The results suggest that there was no multiplicative effect of gender with health status and level of education on an individual's probability of being employed. Further, the study also suggests important policy implications in the light of China's active labor force market and the gender gap in employment.

Benefits of Sexual Activity on Psychological, Relational, and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Breakout

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19-related lockdown has profoundly changed human behaviors and habits, impairing general and psychological well-being. Along with psychosocial consequences, it is possible that sexual behavior was also affected.

AIMS

With the present study, we evaluated the impact of the community-wide containment and consequent social distancing on the intrapsychic, relational, and sexual health through standardized psychometric tools.

METHODS

A case-control study was performed through a web-based survey and comparing subjects of both genders with (group A, N = 2,608) and without (group B, N = 4,213) sexual activity during lockdown. The Welch and chi-square tests were used to assess differences between groups. Univariate analysis of covariance, logistic regression models, and structural equation modeling were performed to measure influence and mediation effects of sexual activity on psychological, relational, and sexual outcomes.

OUTCOMES

Main outcome measures were General Anxiety Disorder-7 for anxiety, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression, Dyadic Adjustment Scale for quality of relationship and a set of well-validated sexological inventories (International Index of Erectile Function, Female Sexual Function Index, and male-female versions of the Orgasmometer).

RESULTS

Anxiety and depression scores were significantly lower in subjects sexually active during lockdown. Analysis of covariance identified gender, sexual activity, and living without partner during lockdown as significantly affecting anxiety and depression scores (P < .0001). Logistic regression models showed that lack of sexual activity during lockdown was associated with a significantly higher risk of developing anxiety and depression (OR: 1.32 [95% CI: 1.12 - 1.57, P < .001] and 1.34 [95% CI: 1.15 - 1.57, P < .0001], respectively). Structural equation modeling evidenced the protective role of sexual activity toward psychological distress (β_males = -0.18 and β_females = -0.14), relational health (β_males = 0.26 and β_females = 0.29) and sexual health, both directly (β_males = 0.43 and β_females = 0.31), and indirectly (β_males = 0.13 and β_females = 0.13).

CLINICAL TRANSLATION

The demonstrated mutual influence of sexual health on psychological and relational health could direct the clinical community toward a reinterpretation of the relationship among these factors.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

Based on a large number of subjects and well-validated psychometric tools, this study elucidated the protective role of sexual activity for psychological distress, as well for relational and sexual health. Main limitations were the web-based characteristics of the protocol and the retrospective nature of prelockdown data on psychorelational and sexual health of subjects recruited.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 lockdown dramatically impacted on psychological, relational, and sexual health of the population. In this scenario, sexual activity played a protective effect, in both genders, on the quarantine-related plague of anxiety and mood disorders. Mollaioli D, Sansone A, Ciocca G, et al. Benefits of Sexual Activity on Psychological, Relational, and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Breakout. J Sex Med 2021;18:35-49.

The impact of precarious jobs on mental health: a gender-sensitive literature review

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to analyse the extent to which research and knowledge production on a key occupational health issue-the impact of precarious employment on health-incorporates, and is sensitive to, a gender perspective.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was carried out to identify studies that analysed the relationship between precarious employment and mental health in the period January 2010-May 2018 through. A minimum of two independent reviewers assessed each article for quality and eligibility. A checklist was used to determine whether the articles included in the review incorporated a gender perspective.

RESULTS

The search retrieved 1522 papers, of which 54 (corresponding to 53 studies) met the inclusion criteria. Of these 54 papers, 22 (40.7%) stratified the analyses by sex. Only 5.4% of the total of articles both stratified by sex and considered variables of household composition and marital status, while only 33.3% incorporated an intersectional perspective. None considered the distribution of domestic work and only a quarter (25.9%) approached the study and interpreted the results in terms of gender.

CONCLUSION

Too few studies researching paid work and health include a gender perspective. This omission necessarily implies a biased interpretation of the reality of precarious employment and its impact on health.

Organisational Justice, Burnout, and Engagement in University Students: A Comparison between Stressful Aspects of Labour and University Organisation

Burnout, engagement, and organisational justice concepts are usually studied in the context of labour organisations, but not in universities. For this, the objective of this research is to identify the students' empirically evidenced relationships in the employment context, such as levels of organisational justice, stress indicators, burnout and work commitment. On the other hand, engagement is analysed as a mediating variable that explains the relationship between organisational justice and burnout. A sample of 543 students from three Spanish universities, selected by purposive sampling, is used ensuring voluntary and anonymous participation. The instruments used to measure the four variables to analyse are a protocol for data collection, MBI-SS instrument for Academic Burnout, Utrecht Work Engagement Student Scale (UWES) for Engagement and the Scale of Organisational Justice for Organisational Justice. As a result, college students show behaviours that promote academic achievement, and they feel more engaged when they are treated fairly. As for the burnout syndrome dimensions, average levels of emotional exhaustion and academic efficacy, and high levels of cynicism are revealed. In addition, the proposed structural equation model supports the main hypothesis; engagement is a mediating variable in the organisational justice and burnout relationship. To conclude, academic stress and its explanatory framework cannot be conceived only from an organisational perspective, where the context of each student must be considered. The adoption of organisational preventive measures can be relevant in ensuring a healthy and conducive academic performance in our students.

Dual impact of organisational change on subsequent exit from work unit and sickness absence: a longitudinal study among public healthcare employees

Objectives

We investigated work-unit exit, total and long-term sickness absence following organisational change among public healthcare employees.

Methods

The study population comprised employees from the Capital Region of Denmark (n=14 388). Data on reorganisation at the work-unit level (merger, demerger, relocation, change of management, employee layoff or budget cut) between July and December 2013 were obtained via surveys distributed to the managers of each work unit. Individual-level data on work-unit exit, total and long-term sickness absence (≥29 days) in 2014 were obtained from company registries. For exposure to any, each type or number of reorganisations (1, 2 or ≥3), the HRs and 95% CIs for subsequent work-unit exit were estimated by Cox regression, and the risk for total and long-term sickness absence were estimated by zero-inflated Poisson regression.

Results

Reorganisation was associated with subsequent work-unit exit (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.19) in the year after reorganisation. This association was specifically important for exposure to ≥3 types of changes (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.79), merger (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.49), demerger (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.71) or change of management (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.38). Among the employees remaining in the work unit, reorganisation was also associated with more events of long-term sickness absence (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.33), which was particularly important for merger (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.72) and employee layoff (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.59).

Conclusions

Specific types of reorganisation seem to have a dual impact on subsequent work-unit exit and sickness absence in the year after change.