Chronic fatigue of the small enterprise workers participating in an occupational health checkup center in southern Taiwan

Purpose  There has been increasing interest in the occupational health of workers in small enterprises, especially in developing countries. This study examines the association between psychosocial job characteristics and fatigue, and attempts to identify risk factors for fatigue among workers of small enterprises in southern Taiwan. Methods  A structured questionnaire was administered to workers receiving regular health examinations between August 2005 and January 2006. The questionnaire collected demographic information and data on working conditions, personal health status and life styles. It also collected information on psychosocial job characteristics, fatigue and psychological distress using three instruments. Results  A total of 647 workers with mean age of 43.7 were completed. Probable fatigue was found in 34.6% of the sample. Fatigue was found by multiple logistic regressions to be associated with the lack of exercise, working in shifts, depression score and lack of social support at workplace. Conclusions  This study found associations between life style, psychosocial job characteristics and fatigue. Because the high prevalence of probable fatigue was found in such small enterprises, the authors suggest that a short interview with some quick questionnaires in health checkup for these small enterprise workers are helpful to early detect psychosocial and fatigue problems.     

急性脑血管病病人应激状态的临床特点及护理

[目的 ]分析急性脑血管病(ACVD)应激状态的临床特点 ,探讨防治策略及护理对策。 [方法 ]回顾分析 3 62例ACVD病人的临床资料。[结果 ]ACVD病人应激反应的发生率为 47.5 1% ,病死率为 11.88%。 [结论 ]早期明确诊断与治疗 ,并采取措施积极调控机体应激状态 ,加强护理 ,有助于控制病情和促进康复 ,降低病死率。     

Which constructs can predict emotional exhaustion in a working population? A study into its determinants

The main objective of this study was to examine the psychosocial stress model developed by Taylor and Aspinwall with emotional exhaustion as the outcome variable. Respondents, 409 men and 346 women, who had a paid job for at least 20 hours per week, completed questionnaires concerning demographic variables, personality, temperament, work pressure, workload, perceived social support, appraisal, coping, and emotional exhaustion. Structural equation analyses provided only partial support for the validity of the model. First, on theoretical and statistical grounds, one more path linking external resources to social support was added. Second, contrary to expectations, coping styles did not predict emotional exhaustion. To conclude, when coping is measured retrospectively, it does not add to our understanding of emotional exhaustion. It is suggested that future studies should be longitudinal and include objective measures of stressors and psychosocial health outcomes in addition to self‐reports. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The shape of stress: the use of frequent sampling to measure temporal variation in S‐IgA levels during acute stress

Previous studies have indicated that statistically significant increases in Secretory immunoglobulin A (S‐IgA) can be achieved in as little as 5min as a result of mental stress. However, the temporal resolution of these changes is low and therefore the rate and pattern of changes during the stress task and during subsequent recovery is unclear. A within‐subjects design was used to examine levels of S‐IgA before, during and after a short (8 min) mental stress task. S‐IgA was measured from saliva samples obtained every 2 min during the entire 30‐min session. Significant increases in S‐IgA concentration were observed as early as the task instruction period, with additional increases during the stress task itself. The data also show a rapid recovery of S‐IgA, with a return to baseline levels within 6 min. Results suggest that S‐IgA changes can occur very rapidly and that the observed increases are short‐lived. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of Chewing and Clenching on Salivary Cortisol Levels as an Indicator of Stress

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chewing and clenching on salivary cortisol levels as an indicator of stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen healthy dentulous subjects were given arithmetic exercises to perform within a 20-minute time limit in order to elicit stress (stress loading). In the first experiment (chewing), after stress loading, the subjects were asked to chew a paraffin wax while reading printed material (books, magazines, etc.) in silence for 10 minutes. The same procedure was then carried out again for control purposes, but this time the subjects were not required to chew wax. In the second experiment (light clenching), after stress loading, the subjects were required to carry out 5 seconds of light clenching followed by 5 seconds of rest repeatedly over a 3-minute period. The whole 3-minute process was repeated a total of three times. The control data for this second experiment consisted of measurements taken during the rest periods. Saliva specimens were collected in both experiments both before stress loading and after each procedure during 1-minute intervals to measure cortisol levels. RESULTS: In the chewing experiment, salivary cortisol levels were significantly reduced by chewing, compared with those in the controls (p < 0.05). This reduction in salivary cortisol was observed during chewing over a 10-minute period following stress loading. In the clenching experiment, salivary cortisol levels also showed a significant reduction during clenching, compared with those in the controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that chewing and clenching promote relaxation in subjects under stress.     

宁波普通高中教师职业压力、社会支持与亚健康躯体症状的典型相关分析

目的 探讨宁波市普通高中的教师心理压力,社会支持与亚健康状态的相关关系.方法 采用职业压力问卷、社会支持量表与亚健康躯体症状自评量表对随机抽取的128名宁波市普通高中教师进行相关关系分析.结果 当存在社会支持变量时,2组变量的典型相关系数达0.563,0.471( P <0.01).职业压力的增大与社会支持水平的减少都将导致教师亚健康躯体症状的增多.当撤去社会支持变量后,典型相关系数为0.497( P <0.01).典型变量ξ中"考试压力","工作负荷"与"职业期望"的因子负载分别增大为0.801,0.855,0.726.典型变量η中的"疲劳感觉"与"睡眠障碍"的因子负载分别增大为0.774,0.859.结论 社会支持水平在职业压力与亚健康躯体症状之间可能具有中介调节作用.     

September 11th related stress and trauma in New Yorkers

Exposure to trauma and stress has been linked with poor health, while forgiveness appears to be positively associated with health outcomes. The current study investigates whether traits such as forgiveness and ruminative tendencies predict levels of trauma and stress experienced by New York City residents on the 1‐year anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack. Seventy‐one students and staff members (57 females, 14 males) of a graduate school in New York City were administered the Impact of Events Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and questionnaires designed for the purpose of this study to measure ruminative tendencies and forgiveness on September 11, 2002. Rumination predicted levels of trauma (p < 0.05) and perceived stress (p < 0.01). Lower levels of forgiveness predicted perceived stress (p < 0.05), but not trauma. Rumination mediated the relationship between forgiveness and perceived stress. These findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of rumination have an elevated risk of experiencing trauma and stress‐related symptoms following a traumatic event. Forgiveness is associated with lower levels of stress, but not trauma, perhaps because trauma is an extreme form of stress. Forgiveness appears to serve as a buffer against stress more so in individuals with low levels of rumination than in individuals with high levels of rumination. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short term correlates of the Neuro Emotional Technique for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms: A pilot case series

Introduction As many as one quarter of all cancer survivors report traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences. While the majority of these patients do not meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is growing evidence that subsyndromal symptoms can significantly contribute to functional impairment and negative health outcomes. Treatment options for the hallmark symptoms of traumatic stress—unpleasant, intrusive thoughts and avoidant behaviors—have not been well investigated for the cancer survivorship population. Materials and methods Seven female cancer survivors with traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences and no other major psychopathology, were enrolled to receive three sessions of Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), a brief, targeted treatment that combines traditional desensitization principles with complementary modalities. Results Psychological outcome measures (Impact of Event Scale (IES) and Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) and physiological measures (Heart Rate (HR) and Skin Conductance Level (SCL) demonstrated the following changes: 71% on IES, 88% SUD, 74% on HR, and 65% on SCL following the intervention. Statistically significant changes were observed for all four parameters, and effect size g for proportion improved were 0.50 each for IES, SUD, and HR, and 0.20 for SCL. Conclusions These cases suggest feasibility of the NET intervention for cancer-related traumatic stress and the potential for change in symptoms and physiological reactivity. Further investigation is needed to determine the specific and long-term effects of such an approach. Implications for cancer survivors Traumatic stress from cancer-related experiences might represent a constellation of symptoms that are amenable to brief, targeted interventions. This study was supported by the O.N.E. Research Foundation     

Prospective multicenter clinical trial of Uretex Sup for surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence

AIM: To evaluate in a prospective multicenter study the efficacy and safety of the suburethral support Uretex (Sofradim, Trevoux, France) delivered by a suprapubic approach in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. METHODS: Between March 2002 and March 2003, 57 patients were treated for stress urinary incontinence with Uretex. Preoperative evaluation included urodynamic examination and questionnaires (symptoms and quality of life, Contilife). Forty patients had pure stress urinary incontinence and 17 mixed urinary incontinence. No associated procedure was performed. The objective cure rate was evaluated by clinical examination and pad-test, and the subjective cure rate was assessed through questionnaires at 1, 3 and 12 months. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 13 months (range 11-24 months). During follow up, chronic urinary retention requiring a tape section occurred in one patient, and in another patient a delay of vaginal healing was followed by a sling exposure and resection at 4 months. No infection or urethral erosion was reported. The objective cure rate was 96.2%, and the subjective cure rate was 79.2%; four patients reported low leakage on stress and nine patients complained of urge incontinence (four de novo and five persistent). CONCLUSION: The suprapubic Uretex Sup procedure is a safe and effective treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence.     

Association of psychological and physiological measures of stress in health‐care professionals during an 8‐week mindfulness meditation program: mindfulness in practice

Work stress, burnout, and diminished empathy are prevalent issues for health‐care professionals. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is one commonly used strategy to manage stress. Measuring salivary cortisol allows for the assessment of serum cortisol level, a known stress level indicator. This study evaluated the association of subject‐reported stress symptoms and salivary cortisol in health‐care professionals, in an 8‐week MM program, with data collected prospectively at baseline and 8 weeks after program completion. Questionnaires [Profile of Mood States—Short Form (POMS‐SF), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)] measured mood, burnout and empathy. A paired t‐test between groups for pre/post‐salivary cortisol yielded no significant change. The POMS‐SF was most sensitive to change (mean increase 12.4; p = 0.020). Emotional exhaustion, measured in the MBI, was also affected by MM (mean decrease 4.54; p = 0.001). Changes in empathy may not have been captured due to either absence of effect of MM on empathy, subject number or scale sensitivity. Baseline and 8‐week correlations between salivary cortisol and survey results, and correlations between changes in these measures, were weak and not statistically significant. Nevertheless, psychometric results present a strong case for additional clinical trials of MM to reduce stress for health‐care professionals. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.