Health and Wellness

Synopsis of Recent Research on the Health Effects of Stress

Stress is America’s number one health problem and has a significant impact on the health, productivity and attitudes of employees. According to one estimate, it accounts for more than 250 million days of absenteeism annually. It has been linked to all of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide.

Furthermore, job-related stress costs U.S. industry $300 billion annually, as assessed by absenteeism, diminished productivity, employee turnover, direct medical costs, and legal and insurance fees, according to the American Institute of Stress.

Despite being one of the most studied topics in occupational health, stress remains a complicated and elusive problem, as indicated by the results of several recent studies: A study of Swedish postal workers showed that the stress of being bullied on the job or threatened with workplace reorganization were among the leading reasons that employees took sick time. Men in particular felt threatened by workplace reorganization, while women reacted negatively to feeling bullied.

• Another study found that employees who perceived they had control over their job responsibilities but didn’t have confidence in their problem-solving capabilities or who blamed themselves for bad outcomes were the most likely to experience stress. They were also more vulnerable to infections such as bronchitis, influenza or even the common cold. The findings partially contradict previously held views that individual control over job responsibilities generally helps reduce stress.
  
  
• A study of banking employees found that complaints about eye strain were indicative of job stress, not necessarily as a result of working with computers as many previous studies have shown. “Job demands, physical and psychological, influence the severity and frequency of video display terminal operators’ health complaints,” the authors said.
  
  
• A study of utility workers found that work stress can nullify the cardiovascular benefits of a physically demanding job. Researchers found that the demands of the job, uncertainties and difficulties in working with other people led to the high stress levels. Physical activity outside of work had a clear positive effect on cardiovascular health: workers in their 40s and 50s who want to prevent cardiovascular disease should exercise four or more times per week with enough intensity to produce heavy breathing and sweating.
  
  
• The surprising results of a series of Canadian studies indicated that sad workers were actually more productive than happy ones. The evidence suggested that happy people might not devote as much energy to their task if they felt it might detract from their current happy mood. On the other hand, sad people appeared to devote more energy to the task to distract themselves from their sad feelings.