title: Mental distress among shift workers in Norwegian offshore petroleum industry--relative influence of individual and psychosocial work factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the association between individual and psychosocial work factors         and mental distress among offshore shift workers in the Norwegian petroleum industry.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 2406 employees of a         large Norwegian oil and gas company, who worked offshore during a two-week period in August 2006, were invited to         participate in the web-based survey. Completed questionnaires were received from 1336 employees (56% response rate).         The outcome variable was mental distress, assessed with a shortened version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-5).         The following individual factors were adjusted for: age, gender, marital status, and shift work locus of control.         Psychosocial work factors included: night work, demands, control and support, and shift work-home interference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of mental distress was higher among men than women. In the adjusted regression model, the following         were associated with mental distress: (i) high scores on quantitative demands, (ii) low level of support, and (iii)         high level of shift work-home interference. Psychosocial work factors explained 76% of the total explained         variance (adjusted R         (²)=0.21) in the final adjusted model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychosocial work factors, such as quantitative         demands, support, and shift work-home interference were independently associated with mental distress. Shift         schedules were only univariately associated with mental distress.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, PB 8149 Dep, NO-0033 Oslo, Norway. cha@stami.no
authors.forename: Cathrine Haugene
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ljoså
authors.forename: Reidar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tyssen
authors.forename: Bjørn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010578:Petroleum
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum