Managing Stress @ Curtin

What is Stress?

Stress is a state that is experienced by an individual. A stressor is the agent that causes the stress. Stress is usually considered in a negative manner (distress), however a certain amount of stress is necessary and may even be beneficial to a person and assist them in functioning more effectively. (i.e. Stimulation versus negative experience)

If we think of humans as systems made up of interrelating parts which work towards maintaining a balance, stress in an upset in the equilibrium that requires a non routine expenditure of energy to bring the system back into normal operating limits.

Types of stress:

• Reactive stress: Physical emotional state of distress when demands made on a person exceed the person's capacity to cope.
• Cumulative stress: A change reaction created by a series of persistent stressors.
• Critical incident stress: The reaction to demands that are sudden and unexpected due by specific incidents.
• Post traumatic stress: A reaction that relates to dealing with memories of a traumatic incident.

Unnecessary stress can have serious consequences on a person's health and wellbeing. It can be evident in a person's private life, and also a factor in the workplace. With this in mind, stress is a hazard to be identified, assessed and controlled as with other hazards of the workplace.

In order to effectively deal with stress in the workplace, it is important to recognise and understand the potential factors which may contribute to the stress levels of employees.

Factors inherent to the job:

• The physical work environment: This may include operating with inadequate working facilities. For example, inadequate desk space, poor equipment, noise distraction, or working in hot conditions without air-conditioning.
• Level of stimulation: For example, this encompasses work overload, or non challenging work requirements.
• Lack of control over the work activity: An example of this is where employees lack autonomy and personal control over work demands (i.e. to complete deadlines etc)
• Lack of meaning in a job or task performed: This can be evident when tasks become repetitive or monotonous, and the employee lacks stimulation and interest in the task.

The employee's role in the organisation:

• Role conflict: This may be perceived when there is a difference of the understanding of a person's role in the organisation. That is, management may have certain expectations on what is required from an employee and the employee has their own expectations on how to achieve the objectives of their position.
• Role ambiguity: This can occur where there is a lack of clearly defined expectations about a person's duties.

Relationships at work:

• In all industries, there is the potential for conflict between staff members, with the presence of different personality types, management styles and attitudes.

Organisational structure and climate:

• Organisational politics, management styles, consultation and communication, lack of recognition.

• Departmental budgetary constraints can have implications on perception of job security and access to ongoing professional education/ support.

• During busy periods, employees may take work home to meet deadlines and to 'keep on top of things'. This can create tension and conflict between work and home responsibilities. It may also lend itself to a feeling of not knowing when the workday ends and when home life begins.

• When the psychological demands of the job are high, and the worker control over the task is low, then the most adverse reactions of psychological strain may occur, such as fatigue, aggression, anxiety, depression and risk of physical illness. Conversely, when control over the stressful task is high, this may enhance learning.

Primary interventions: This level of intervention focuses on structural reform. That is, changing aspects of the work environment so that factors contributing to stress can be prevented or eliminated. For example, performance management programmes, clear job descriptions and clear communication lines between staff and management.

Secondary interventions: Involve preventing employees who may already be showing signs of stress from becoming sick. For example, by improving their coping capacity through provision of stress management and education courses, as well as health screening and/ or health enhancement programmes.

Tertiary interventions: This includes treating those employees who already have serious health problems, and involves the provision of rehabilitation services. Tertiary interventions are not usually regarded as preventative programs.

Secondary and Tertiary interventions are the most common initiatives that workplaces can schedule to combat factors associated with stress. This is in order to focus on individual management, as opposed to the more complex organisational management. Current research suggests that primary interventions are the most successful initiative, which can be implemented across the whole organisation to reduce stress at the source.

• General interventions: Incident/ accident report forms, work environment assessments and recommendations, OSH reps, fire wardens, hazard identification etc.
• Referral to Injury Management: With early referral to injury management, rehabilitation can proceed at a faster rate and increase the likelihood of recovery. Early identification of employees, who may be experiencing difficulties at work due to injury or illness (including stress), and those staff becoming increasingly absent from work, is imperative so that interventions can be initiated to correct the problem.
• Employee Assistance Programmes: University Counselling and Health Services involvement.
• Healthy Lifestyle Programmes
• Redeployment options
• Stress Management Programmes

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