Week 3 Stress and Mentally Healthy Workplaces

Question 1

What is a Mentally Healthy Workplace?

Answer 1

A mentally healthy workplace is one in which psychosocial risks (hazards/stressors) are recognised and suitable action is taken to prevent or minimise their potential negative impact on the mental health of workers.

At the same time, protective or resilience factors are encouraged and promoted

Question 2

Why do Mentally Healthy Workplaces Matter?

Answer 2

• There are strong two-way links between employment and mental health.
• There are potential high returns to employers from investing in strategies and programs to create mentally healthy workplaces.
• Workplace risk factors can create a poor psychosocial work environment.
• The growing cost of workers compensation claims for work-related mental health conditions.

Question 3

Factors Contributing to a Mentally Health Workplace

Answer 3

Question 4

Social and Organisational Factors that Contribute to a Mentally Healthy Workplace

Answer 4

Question 5

What is stress?

Answer 5

An affective state experienced in response to threats or demands that exceed one’s capacity to cope (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)

Question 6

What is the requirements of Workplace Health and Safety legislation?

Answer 6

WHS legislation requires persons conducting a business or undertaking to ensure the health and safety of workers at work, so far as reasonably practical. (there are some hazards in different professions that are unavoidable)

There is a legal requirement on the employer to provide a workplace that protects the psychological health and wellbeing of their workforce.

Question 7

What are the figures related to stress compensation claims?

Answer 7

Stress is approximately the 6^th most common type of CLAIM. Body Stressing the most common claim

Mental disorders is the only type of workplace injury that is increasing in claims–There has been a 4% increase in claims for mental stress from 2000-01 (6295 claims) to 2015-16 (6530 claims)

Consistently the longest median time away from work of all injury types (17 weeks in 2015-16)

In 2015-16, the median individual stress compensation claim cost approx. $27 700 (highest of any injury type). 94% increase from 2000-01 ($14 300)

Question 8

Outcomes of stress on the individual

Answer 8

Question 9

What is Role Stressor theory?

Answer 9

Role Ambiguity & Role Conflict

• Role ambiguity occurs when there is confusion about the precise requirements, responsibilities and borders of your role (when there is confusion there can cause stress)

• e.g., supervisor doesn’t make it clear which team member is responsible for a critical task.

• Role conflict occurs when you feel that in your role you are facing incompatible expectations

• e.g., work-life conflict (demands at home, i.e. new baby)
• e.g., web designer criticised by marketing staff for providing too much detail, but criticised by tour guides for providing too little detail (different stakeholders to appease, incompatible expectations in job role)

Question 10

Job Strain Model

Answer 10

Until recently, one of the most widely used models of occupational stress and strain

• Simple (main effect) predictions about strain generally supported
• Interactive predictions have received mixed results

Research: Higher levels of demand result in higher levels of strain, high control mitigating the negative effects of high demands that interaction has received mixed support.

Job demands are the level of demands your job places on you

Job control is the control over the decision you have at work.

Karasek was able to say the worst kind of job you could have is a high strain job, high demands low control, best you can have is an active job, high demands but high control (higher job satisfaction)

Question 11

Isolation-Strain Model

Answer 11

Most studies show social support has a positive main effect on well-being (Kahn & Byosiere, 1992). More support you have the better wellbeing you have. This was an additional factor taken into the job strain model

*Worst is high strain isolated; high demands and low support

Question 12

Types of social support

Answer 12

–Emotional support

–Instrumental support (people that can help you in practical ways, advice)

–Task-related information (where people can show you how to do certain things

–Performance feedback (from leaders or employees on how you’re going)

Question 13

Job Demands-Resources Model

Answer 13

Job demands are defined as “those physical, psychological, social, or organisational aspects of the job that require sustained physical and/or psychological (cognitive and emotional) effort or skills and are therefore associated with certain physiological and/or psychological costs”

Job resources are defined as “those physical, psychological, social, or organisational aspects of the job that are either/or (autonomy, control, feedback)

(1) functional in achieving work goals,
(2) reduce job demands and the associated physiological and psychological costs,
(3) stimulate personal growth, learning, and development”

Question 14

Transactional model of stress

Answer 14

• The Transactional Model of Stress emphasises the ongoing interaction between the person and the environment.
• Stress occurs when the demands of a situation are appraised by the individual as taxing his or her resources or capacities to cope, and hence, threaten the individual’s well-being (Lazarus, 1991). About how the individual appraises the situation they are in.

Question 15

The two appraisal processes (transactional model of stress)

Answer 15

• Appraisal: Process through which the person evaluates whether a particular encounter with the environment is relevant to his or her wellbeing, and if so, in what ways. (how much is at stake? Is there a potential for threat?)
• Primary appraisal

“Am I in trouble or being benefited now or in the future, and in what way?”(p. 31)

• occurs whenever a person encounters a new situation, or recollects an existing situation, and assesses how much is at stake (especially the potential for threat)

•Secondary appraisal

“What, if anything, can be done about it?”(p. 31)

• assessment of one’s capacity to cope with the threat, available resources for managing situation

Question 16

Are all stressors equally harmful?

Answer 16

• No. But … what makes some stressors promote enthusiasm, engagement, and flow, while others promote worry, avoidance and withdrawal? (Its about the appraisal, they can be perceived as a challenge)

Question 17

Types of stressors: Challenge and Hinderance

Answer 17

Question 18

What are some examples of occupational stressors?

Answer 18

Question 19

Interventions to reduce stress

Answer 19

• Three levels of interventions (Cooper & Cartwright, 1997; Tetrick & Quick, 2011)

-Primary interventions: Change environment/stressors (changing some aspect of the environment, increase number of staff, PREVENTION) (Prevention is better than the cure)

• E.g., reduce workload/flexible work schedules/job redesign/polices & procedures/training and development/supervision factors.

• Secondary: Changing response to stressors (at risk)
• E.g., Stress Management Programs (SMP/SMI)/Workplace Health Promotion (e.g., subsidised food, health insurance, sporting teams)/Work-life skills (e.g., assertiveness)/stress management skills (e.g., coping)/CBT
• Tertiary: Changing symptoms/health status (Currently experiencing stress)
• E.g., Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)/critical incident debriefing/referral to health professional

Question 20

Best things workplaces can do to help the mental health of employees

Answer 20

–Designing and managing work to minimise harm

–Promoting protective factors at an organisational level to maximise resilience

–Enhancing personal resilience, generally and for those at risk

–Promoting and facilitating early help-seeking

–Supporting workers’ recovery from mental illness and during stressful life events

–Increasing awareness of mental illness and reducing stigma