Workers’ Stress Levels Higher than Unemployment

Stress is very easily attacked by the unemployed. However, workers with low incomes and work demands can have severe mental health conditions are the same, even worse.

A study conducted by researchers at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia show that has not always been people who have jobs also have a is good. Study participants, which is the new people who get jobs with low quality after the unemployed, it suggests that mental health conditions worsening.

The participants, who numbered seven thousand men, and taken from a survey of households across Australia, were asked to complete a mental health questionnaire to detect in addition to positive emotions such as feeling happy and calm. While the researchers assessed the quality of work is based on four factors, namely, the level of stress and workload, employees have control over their work, job security (or its potential in the future), and whether they receive salaries according to their workload.

In general, those who work have better mental health than those who do not have a job. Those who work with high quality work suggests that mental health scores on average 3 points higher. But those who work with low-, mental health scores dropped by 5.6 points. Mental health in this group is worse than those who still do not work during the study.

These findings provide input on local governments to not only focus on reducing the unemployment rate alone. “Other conditions such as employment support allowance, work hours and flexibility, must also be considered,” said Joseph Grzywacz, an associate professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, which do not involved in the study.

To cope with the stress of work can be done by Individual approach. An employee may seek its own to reduce his . Individual strategies are quite effective, namely: time management, physical exercise, relaxation training, and social support. With good time management so an employee can complete the task well, without the demands of work in a hurry. With physical exercise can improve the condition of the body to a more vibrant so as to face the demands of an arduous task. In addition to reducing workers faced sires need to do relaxing activities. And as the last strategy to reduce stress is to gather friends, colleagues, families will be able to provide support and suggestions for him.

Moreover, it can also with the organizational approach. Some causes of stress are the demands of the task and role of the organizational structure scmuanya controlled by management, so that these factors can be changed. Therefore, strategies that may be used by management to reduce employee stress is through the selection and placement, goal setting, job redesign, participative decision-making, organizational communication, and welfare programs. Through this strategy will cause the employee to get a job that suits their abilities and work for the purpose for which they want as well as a healthy interpersonal relationships as well as maintenance of physical and mental condition.