[Effect of occupational stress on mental health].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of job psychological demands and job control on mental health and their interaction.


METHODS
93 male freight train dispatchers were evaluated by using revised Job Demand-Control Scale and 7 strain scales. Stepwise regression analysis, Univariate ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H and Modian methods were used in statistic analysis.


RESULTS
Kruskal-Wallis H and Modian methods analysis revealed the difference in mental health scores among groups of decision latitude (mean rank 55.57, 47.95, 48.42, 33.50, P < 0.05), the differences in scores of mental health (37.45, 40.01, 58.35), job satisfaction (53.18, 46.91, 32.43), daily life strains (33.00, 44.96, 56.12) and depression (36.45, 42.25, 53.61) among groups of job time demands (P < 0.05) were all statistically significant. ANOVA showed that job time demands and decision latitude had interaction effects on physical complains (R(2) = 0.24), state-anxiety (R(2) = 0.26), and daytime fatigue (R(2) = 0.28) (P < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed a significant job time demands and job decision latitude interaction effect as well as significant main effects of the some independent variables on different job strains (R(2) > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Job time demands and job decision latitude have direct and interactive effects on psychosomatic health, the more time demands, the more psychological strains, the effect of job time demands is greater than that of job decision latitude.
Yu
Shan-fa
SF
Henan Institute of Occupational Medicine, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Zhang
Rui
R
Ma
Liang-qing
LQ
Gu
Gui-zhen
GZ
Yang
Yan
Y
Li
Kui-rong
KR
D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*