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Occupational stress and strain.

Margolis BK; Kroes WH

Occupational Stress 1974:15-20

00176253

A discussion of occupational stress and strain was presented. The authors state that in order to understand the impact stress at work has on a worker, it is necessary to measure at least five dimensions of job related strain. The subjective states of anxiety, tension, anger, and feeling uptight are short term, occurring in close proximity to specific job stressors. More chronic are the psychological responses to job stress including chronic depression, feelings of fatigue, alienation, or general malaise. The third measure of job related strain involves transient clinical physiological changes. The fourth involves physical health status such as the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders, coronary heart disease, asthmatic attacks, or other phenomena directly related to the stress of the job. A decrease in work performance offers the final measure of job related strain. From a management point of view, one of the important reasons for dealing effectively with job stress is that productivity will be improved. The major goal in job stress studies is to relate specific job stressors to specific strains so that those stressors which are causing problems might be dealt with. Often multiple stressors exist at work and these must be separated out and dealt with. However, only when considering them together does an accurate picture of the work environment arise. The usefulness of interviews and questionnaires, medical records, clinical physiological tests, and statistical analyses to assist in identifying specific stressors was considered.

Job-stress; Physiological-response; Emotional-stress; Work-capacity; Mental-stress; Psychological-stress; Occupational-health; Work-performance; Behavior; Attitude

19740101

Book or book chapter

McLean A

1974

Occupational Stress

IL