Self-perceived stress reactivity is an indicator of psychosocial impairment at the workplace.
BACKGROUND
Work related stress is associated with a range of debilitating health outcomes. However, no unanimously accepted assessment tool exists for the early identification of individuals suffering from chronic job stress. The psychological concept of self-perceived stress reactivity refers to the individual disposition of a person to answer stressors with immediate as well as long lasting stress reactions, and it could be a valid indicator of current as well as prospective adverse health outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which perceived stress reactivity correlates with various parameters of psychosocial health, cardiovascular risk factors, and parameters of chronic stress and job stress in a sample of middle-aged industrial employees in a so-called "sandwich-position".


METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, a total of 174 industrial employees were assessed for psychosocial and biological stress parameters. Differences between groups with high and low stress reactivity were analysed. Logistic regression models were applied to identify which parameters allow to predict perceived high versus low stress reactivity.


RESULTS
In our sample various parameters of psychosocial stress like chronic stress and effort-reward imbalance were significantly increased in comparison to the normal population. Compared to employees with perceived low stress reactivity, those with perceived high stress reactivity showed poorer results in health-related complaints, depression, anxiety, sports behaviour, chronic stress, and effort-reward imbalance. The educational status of employees with perceived low stress reactivity is higher. Education, cardiovascular complaints, chronic stress, and effort-reward imbalance were moderate predictors for perceived stress reactivity. However, no relationship was found between stress reactivity and cardiovascular risk factors in our sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Job stress is a major burden in a relevant subgroup of industrial employees in a middle management position. Self-perceived stress reactivity seems to be an appropriate concept to identify employees who experience psychosocial stress and associated psychological problems at the workplace.
Limm
Heribert
H
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Langerstrasse 3/I, 81675 Munich, Germany.
Angerer
Peter
P
Heinmueller
Mechthild
M
Marten-Mittag
Birgitt
B
Nater
Urs M
UM
Guendel
Harald
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008420:Manufactured Materials; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009790:Occupations / Q000145:classification; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Healthc Pap. 2004;5(2):12-25
15829761
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Apr 10;98(8):4770-5
11287659
Occup Environ Med. 2003 Jan;60(1):3-9
12499449
BMC Public Health. 2009 Mar 02;9:73
19254367
Psychosom Med. 2002 Mar-Apr;64(2):278-86
11914444
Psychiatr Serv. 2001 Dec;52(12):1639-43
11726756
BMJ. 2002 Oct 19;325(7369):857
12386034
Soc Sci Med. 2004 Apr;58(8):1483-99
14759692
Soc Sci Med. 2003 Aug;57(4):647-56
12821013
Psychol Med. 2006 Mar;36(3):375-85
16393364
J Adv Nurs. 2003 Apr;42(2):169-200
12670386
Annu Rev Public Health. 1997;18:437-62
9143726
Psychosom Med. 2005 Jul-Aug;67(4):577-83
16046370
Scand J Caring Sci. 2006 Mar;20(1):26-34
16489957
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000 Aug 15;25(16):2114-25
10954644
Health Aff (Millwood). 1999 Sep-Oct;18(5):163-71
10495604
J Occup Health Psychol. 1996 Jan;1(1):27-41
9547031
Psychol Med. 2007 Aug;37(8):1141-9
17147835
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999;896:30-47
10681886
Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983 Jun;67(6):361-70
6880820
Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2000 Jan;50(1):14-21
10686789
Br J Addict. 1990 Apr;85(4):495-507
2346789
Arch Intern Med. 1997 Oct 27;157(19):2259-68
9343003
J Clin Epidemiol. 2007 Nov;60(11):1105-15
17938051
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Dec;91(12):5130-3
16968802
Psychosom Med. 1998 May-Jun;60(3):247-55
9625210
Health Promot Int. 2006 Dec;21(4):346-53
16880197
JAMA. 2000 Dec 20;284(23):3043-5
11122593
J Stud Alcohol. 1997 Jan;58(1):37-47
8979212
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2001 Apr 1;26(7):778-87
11295900
BMJ. 2000 Apr 8;320(7240):971-5
10753148
Am J Epidemiol. 2006 May 15;163(10):888-90; discussion 891-2
16554347
J Psychosom Res. 1997 Jan;42(1):17-41
9055211
Occup Environ Med. 2007 Aug;64(8):562-8
17053019