[Stress and health at work for day care workers : the alleviating role of social support.].
This study, which focuses on the child care work environment, asks four questions : Is the state of stress among child care workers greater than that observed in a normal population? Are there aspects of the work itself that are more associated with the worker's personal state of stress? What link can we establish between the state of stress and the state of health of this group? Finally, can supportive relationships lessen the negative impact of certain work environments? 165 female workers, of which 85% are teachers, took part in the study on a volunteer basis after their child care centre had been selected arbitrarily. Subjects answered five questionnaires to measure the state of their stress, mental health, physical health, the emotional support of their spouse and the importance given to stress-related factors in the workplace. Results show that the state of stress of these workers is, on the average, no higher than that found in a normal population. However, work situations involving child supervision, interpersonal relations among staff, as well as feelings of being overworked are considered the most stressful. These work situations, even the most stress-producing, are not associated to a worker's state of physical or mental stress. It's the stress state itself, in its role as an intermediate variable, that makes the connection between sources of stress and the person's state of health. Finally, emotional support is linked to the state of stress, but has no direct link to the state of physical or mental health. A spouse's support is nonetheless considered as regular and effective protection against increases in the state of stress. A number of methodological implications are also discussed.
Tessier
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R
Dion
G
G
Mercier
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C