Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (9)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hobson, J.
Right arrow Articles by Beach, J. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hobson, J.
Right arrow Articles by Beach, J. R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Occupational Medicine 2000;50:518-522
© 2000 Society of Occupational Medicine

An Investigation of the Relationship between Psychological Health and Workload among Managers

J. Hobson and J. R. Beach

St Luke's Hospital Bradford, UK

Background: Anecdotally, many workers complain of stress at work. However, the relationship between work and stress needs clarification to allow risk assessment and risk management of this hazard in the workplace.

Objectives: To examine relationships between working hours, perceived work stressors, and psychological health in a group of managers.

Methods: Managers at two factories were invited to participate in an anonymous cross-sectional survey. All were asked to complete a work diary for a period of 1 week and a questionnaire comprising the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, an anxiety and depression scale, and questions identifying perceived workplace stressors.

Results: Over 60% of managers were above the threshold of caseness on at least one measure of psychological health. No statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between actual hours of work and psychological health. A relationship was demonstrated between some perceived workplace stressors and actual hours worked, and between some perceived workplace stressors and psychological health.

Conclusions: A large proportion of managers in a typical production environment appeared at risk of developing psychological illness. Hours of work were not directly related to psychological health, but were significantly associated with individual perception of some work stressors which, in turn, were associated with measures of psychological health. Perceived workload appeared more important in determining psychological health than actual workload.

Keywords      Hours of work; occupation; perceived work stressors; psychological health; stress; workload

Correspondence to: Dr J.R. Beach, Department of Occupational Medicine, St Luke's Hospital, Little Horton Lane, Bradford BD5 0NA, UK. Tel: +44 1274 365621; fax: +44 1274 365858; e-mail: Jeremy.Beach{at}bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.