title: Using the HSE stress indicator tool in a military context.
abstract: An assessment of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) stress indicator tool was conducted to determine whether it was suitable for use with Ministry of Defence (MoD) personnel. A total of 1031 respondents from the Army, Navy, Air Force and MoD civilians completed a questionnaire containing the HSE tool and supplementary measures of work-life balance, engagement, deployment, leave taken and hours of work. Six measures of adverse reaction to the stressors were also reported: perceptions of job stress, job stress and health, psychological strain, fatigue after work, work ability and quality of working life. The stressor scales, particularly the 'demands' and 'relationships' scales, were associated with adverse outcomes as was the work-life balance scale. The HSE tool had some validity when used with MoD personnel, but its content was too narrow. The content validity of the tool can be improved for use in a military context with the addition of a 'work-life balance' scale'.
  The HSE stress tool was tested with a mixed sample of MoD employees. The ‘Demands and “Relationships” scales were associated with adverse outcomes. An additional Work–Life Balance’ scale improved the content validity, demonstrating the importance of assessing the psychometric qualities of scales when used within particular contexts to ensure validity.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Naval Medicine , Alverstoke , Hants , PO12 2DL , UK.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bridger
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Naval Medicine , Alverstoke , Hants , PO12 2DL , UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Naval Medicine , Alverstoke , Hants , PO12 2DL , UK.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D006113:United Kingdom; D000072358:Work-Life Balance; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: HSE stress indicator tool; military; stress