8.1 Work-related stress and post-traumatic stress disorders

Question 1

The characteristic symptoms of PTSD involve:

Answer 1

 re-experiencing the traumatic event
 avoidance of stimuli associated with the event
 numbing of general responsiveness
 increased arousal, for example: difficulty falling asleep, staying awake,
irritability or outbursts of anger.

Question 2

As  work  related  stress  does  not 
constitute  a  reportable  occupational 
disease under RIDDOR  the  information 
available  regarding  the  incidence  and 
prevalence of work-related stress comes 
from two sources:

Answer 2

 Self-reported work related illnesses (SWI) from the Labour Force Survey
(LFS).
 Surveillance of occupational stress and mental illness (SOSMI), which
tracks reports from consultant psychiatrists as part of the THOR (The Health
and Occupation Research Network) programme, run by the Centre for
Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Manchester.

Question 3

Research provides strong links between stress and: 3

Answer 3

 Physical effects such as heart disease, back pain, headaches,
gastrointestinal disturbances or various minor illnesses.
 Psychological effects such as anxiety and depression, loss of
concentration and poor decision making.
 Behavioural effects such as reliance on drugs and alcohol, lack of
confidence, relationship difficulties, lack of concentration, mood swings and
aggression.