Stress management interventions in the workplace, Dr Anju Kuruvilla

STRESS MANAGEMENT IN THE WORK PLACE

Anju Kuruvilla

Department of Psychiatry

Christian Medical College, Vellore

Occup stress Oct 25

Occupational Stress

Occupational Stress

• Definition:Ill-health , adverse work performance resulting from negative reactions to factors within the workplace.

• Significant relationship with

-ill health:physical and mental

-other consequences:job dissatisfaction, burnout, absenteeism, labour turnover, loss of productivity ,reduced patient satisfaction, diagnosis and treatment errors

What is a healthy job? • One where the pressures on employees are

appropriate in relation to

- their abilities and resources

- the amount of control they have over their work

- the support they receive from people who matter to them

PRESSURES

Abilities and Resources

Degree of control

Supports available

What are stress-related hazards at work?

• Job or task demands

(work load, degree of task control, clarity of role )

• Organizational factors

(interpersonal relationships, management practices, communication styles, recognition)

• Environment and physical working conditions

• Training and career development issues

(opportunity for growth , promotion)

• Conflict between work and family roles

Roles Nurses • Work overload

• Understaffing • Time pressure

• Lack of support from supervisors, head nurses, higher management

• Exposure to infectious diseases

• Needle stick injuries • Dealing with difficult, seriously ill,

violent

• Career development issues

Doctors

• Long hours • Sleep deprivation

• Excessive workload

• Dealing with death and dying

• Interpersonal conflicts with other staff

• Patient expectations

• Threat of litigation • Interpersonal conflicts (patients,

colleagues)

• Career development issues

Interventions for stress reduction

• Benefits

-individual

-organizational

Occup stress Oct 25

Interventions • Primary prevention

-promote well-being ,prevent stress

• Secondary / tertiary prevention

-reduce the consequences of the stress

• Organizational changes

-to alter source of problem

• Individual stress management

-to cope with stress

Primary prevention:

Individual level

-Educational :causes ,consequences of OS

:pamphlets, posters , talks

Primary prevention:

Individual level

-Skills training: coping skills ,time-management

:colleagues , counselors , manuals

Primary prevention:

Individual level

-Target physical concomitants of stress

:relaxation, meditation techniques

,yoga, aerobic exercises

Primary prevention : Individual—organizational interface level

-Worker support :share problems, give reassurance and support, share successful coping strategies, to listen empathetically,

-professional support to managers

-Physical and environmental constraints

Primary prevention : Individual—organizational interface level

-Healthy lifestyle promotion

-Staff appraisal/

reward programme

Secondary / tertiary prevention:

• Identify and deal with the source of the problem

• Individual support, guidance and counseling by supervisor, colleague

• Counsellors,professional intervention

• Redressal processes: streamlined,

information provided as flowchart, confidential

Are you feeling BULLIED at your work

place? ULLIED at your work place?

Talk to someone about it.

Approach your supervisor

Then -your Head of Unit/Department

Next -your appointing authority

If you are unhappy with the response from the above

Approach the Grievance cell(phone:…)

Organizational changes:

• Job allocation procedure/job description/roles

• Communication/information processes

• Decision-making , participatory management style

• Training to improve management skills , team building

• Employee assistance programmes

• Work-family conciliation policy

Occup stress Oct 25