Summary #8 stress and burn-out
Stress
= an internal psychological state of subjects exposed to threatening/exciting situations. This
internal psychological state may result in a fight or flight response
- Eustress: stress that provides challenges that motivate indivuals to work hard & meet
their goals
- Distress: stress that results from chronically demanding situations that produced
negative health outcomes.
Stressor
= physical/psychological demands to which an individual responds. Force that pushes a
psychological/physical factor beyond its range of flexibility.
Strain
= reaction/response to a stressor/ consequence of stress
Stress complaint
= negative consequence of stress
General adaptation syndrome
1. Alarm stage
body mobilizes resources to cope with stress, low resistance
2. Resistance
phase of maximal adaptation, less responsive to other stressors
3. Exhaustion
reached if stressor is continuous, adaptive mechanisms collapse
Work-related stress
= process that arises where work demands of various types & combinations exceed the
persons capacity and capability to cope
Stressors
Physical
- Heat/cold/noise
- Dangerousness
constantly ready to react to anger constant over arousal - long term health
- Demands of a job
Cognitive
Emotional perceived excessive? problems
Physical
Qualitative work overload: too difficult
Quantitative work overload: too much
Underload: not being sufficiently challenged
- Working hours
Consistently working 40+ hours damaging to physical/psychological health.
it is important to psychologically detach from work
- Shift work
Working at unsociable/unusual times stressful (physical/psychological) + error rate
, Psychological
- Emotional labor
Emotional dissonance stressful
Deep acting: managing one’s feelings
Surface acting: faking one’s emotions most stressful
- Work-life interference/ inter-role conflict
Conflict between one’s role at work and one’s role at home.
Time based conflict
= not being able to meet demands of domain due to time pressures from other
domain
Strain based conflict
= insufficient resources remain for roles in other domains
Behavior based conflict
= values/attitudes may clash with expected & required behavior in another
domain
- Interpersonal conflict VS peer support
= negative interactions with co-workers, supervisors, clients (heated
arguments/subtle unfriendly behavior)
May be because of scarce resources, incompatible values, unfair treatment.
job dissatisfaction, health consequences, depression, violence
= peer support is lower levels of perceived stress
- Lack of control/predictability
= perception little control/predictability determines stress
Control of schedule/ pace of work/ flex time feelings of autonomy less stress
One benefits most from control if one has: internal LC & psychological flexible
- Role stressors
Role ambiguity
= no clear picture of job scope/expectations/responsibility
Role conflict
= attention is torn/conflicted between job demands
= attention is impaired by having to do things one doesn’t want
stress factor
Role overload
= when an individual is expected to fulfill too many roles at the same time
- Responsibility
= responsibility for people + demands + stress
- Change
one may feel insecure about future threat of losing job negative impact wellbeing
Planned change & autonomy reduces stress in times of change
- Organizational work culture
Participatory work culture + performance/satisfaction/ - strain & stress / + self-esteem
increased wellbeing of the work force
Stress
= an internal psychological state of subjects exposed to threatening/exciting situations. This
internal psychological state may result in a fight or flight response
- Eustress: stress that provides challenges that motivate indivuals to work hard & meet
their goals
- Distress: stress that results from chronically demanding situations that produced
negative health outcomes.
Stressor
= physical/psychological demands to which an individual responds. Force that pushes a
psychological/physical factor beyond its range of flexibility.
Strain
= reaction/response to a stressor/ consequence of stress
Stress complaint
= negative consequence of stress
General adaptation syndrome
1. Alarm stage
body mobilizes resources to cope with stress, low resistance
2. Resistance
phase of maximal adaptation, less responsive to other stressors
3. Exhaustion
reached if stressor is continuous, adaptive mechanisms collapse
Work-related stress
= process that arises where work demands of various types & combinations exceed the
persons capacity and capability to cope
Stressors
Physical
- Heat/cold/noise
- Dangerousness
constantly ready to react to anger constant over arousal - long term health
- Demands of a job
Cognitive
Emotional perceived excessive? problems
Physical
Qualitative work overload: too difficult
Quantitative work overload: too much
Underload: not being sufficiently challenged
- Working hours
Consistently working 40+ hours damaging to physical/psychological health.
it is important to psychologically detach from work
- Shift work
Working at unsociable/unusual times stressful (physical/psychological) + error rate
, Psychological
- Emotional labor
Emotional dissonance stressful
Deep acting: managing one’s feelings
Surface acting: faking one’s emotions most stressful
- Work-life interference/ inter-role conflict
Conflict between one’s role at work and one’s role at home.
Time based conflict
= not being able to meet demands of domain due to time pressures from other
domain
Strain based conflict
= insufficient resources remain for roles in other domains
Behavior based conflict
= values/attitudes may clash with expected & required behavior in another
domain
- Interpersonal conflict VS peer support
= negative interactions with co-workers, supervisors, clients (heated
arguments/subtle unfriendly behavior)
May be because of scarce resources, incompatible values, unfair treatment.
job dissatisfaction, health consequences, depression, violence
= peer support is lower levels of perceived stress
- Lack of control/predictability
= perception little control/predictability determines stress
Control of schedule/ pace of work/ flex time feelings of autonomy less stress
One benefits most from control if one has: internal LC & psychological flexible
- Role stressors
Role ambiguity
= no clear picture of job scope/expectations/responsibility
Role conflict
= attention is torn/conflicted between job demands
= attention is impaired by having to do things one doesn’t want
stress factor
Role overload
= when an individual is expected to fulfill too many roles at the same time
- Responsibility
= responsibility for people + demands + stress
- Change
one may feel insecure about future threat of losing job negative impact wellbeing
Planned change & autonomy reduces stress in times of change
- Organizational work culture
Participatory work culture + performance/satisfaction/ - strain & stress / + self-esteem
increased wellbeing of the work force
