[Epidemiology of psychosocial distress in Korean employees].

OBJECTIVE To estimate the magnitude of psychosocial distress and examine eligible factors associated with the development of psychosocial distress in Korean employees, using a nationwide sample. METHODS A total of 6977 workers were recruited from 245 companies. A structured questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographics, health-related behaviors, job characteristics, social support at work, personality traits (locus of control, type A behavior pattern), self-esteem, and psychosocial distress. RESULTS The results showed that 23% of workers were categorized as high stress, 73% as moderate, and 5% as normal. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that psychosocial distress was more common in younger workers, both male and female. Regular exercise was negatively associated with increase of psychosocial distress. In job characteristics, as expected, low decision latitude, high job insecurity, and low social support at work were related to high psychosocial distress. Personality traits such as locus of control and type A behavior pattern, and self-esteem were more powerful predictors of psychosocial distress than general characteristics, health-related behavior, and job characteristics. There were some gender differences. While men who are less educated and single (unmarried, divorced, and separated) experienced higher levels of psychosocial distress than those who are educated and married, women who feel high job demand experienced higher levels of psychosocial distress than those who feel low job demand. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of the high stress group was higher than expected, and psychosocial factors like social support and personality characteristics (e.g. locus of control, type A behavior pattern and self-esteem) were more significant factors for psychosocial distress than other variables. This finding suggests that some psychosocial factors, especially inadequate social support, low self-esteem and lack of internal locus of control for the development of psychosocial distress, will also operate as an intervention strategy in the worksite stress reduction program. It is strongly required that worksite stress reduction programs should be established in at both occupational and level as well as in individual levels.

[1]  S. Kobasa,et al.  Hardiness and health: a prospective study. , 1982, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[2]  J Pentti,et al.  Factors underlying the effect of organisational downsizing on health of employees: longitudinal cohort study , 2000, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[3]  J. Schwartz,et al.  Job characteristics in relation to the prevalence of myocardial infarction in the US Health Examination Survey (HES) and the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HANES). , 1988, American journal of public health.

[4]  C. Aneshensel.  Social Stress: Theory and Research , 1992 .

[5]  H. Cooper,et al.  Situation and personality correlates of psychological well-being social activity and personal control. , 1995 .

[6]  M. Friedman,et al.  Association of specific overt behavior pattern with blood and cardiovascular findings; blood cholesterol level, blood clotting time, incidence of arcus senilis, and clinical coronary artery disease. , 1959, Journal of the American Medical Association.

[7]  R. Perlow,et al.  Relationship of client abuse with locus of control and gender: a longitudinal study in mental retardation facilities. , 1993, The Journal of applied psychology.

[8]  M G Marmot,et al.  Health effects of anticipation of job change and non-employment: longitudinal data from the Whitehall II study , 1995, BMJ.

[9]  N. Anderson,et al.  Models of personality and disease: an interactional approach to type A behavior and cardiovascular risk. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[10]  S. Chang,et al.  Job Characteristics and Blood Coagulation Factors in Korean Male Workers , 2002, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[11]  C. Cooper,et al.  Personality, job satisfaction and well-being among public sector (police) managers , 1993 .

[12]  S. Chang,et al.  The Association between Job Characteristics, Psychosocial Distress and Homocysteine , 1998 .

[13]  M Kaminski,et al.  Stress at work and mental health status among female hospital workers. , 1990, British journal of industrial medicine.

[14]  R. Rahe,et al.  Occupational stress and variation in cigarette, coffee, and alcohol consumption. , 1981, Journal of health and social behavior.

[15]  M. Rayens,et al.  Self-esteem as a mediator of the effects of stressors and social resources on depressive symptoms in postpartum mothers. , 1996, Nursing research.

[16]  V. Jain,et al.  Effects of Locus of Control, Occupational Stress, and Psychological Distress on Job Satisfaction among Nurses , 1996, Psychological reports.

[17]  C. Muntaner,et al.  The health-damaging potential of new types of flexible employment: a challenge for public health researchers. , 2000, American journal of public health.

[18]  S. Chang,et al.  Job Characteristics and Psychosocial Distress of Atypical Workers , 2004 .

[19]  N. Schmitz,et al.  Stress, burnout and locus of control in German nurses. , 2000, International journal of nursing studies.

[20]  M Feinleib,et al.  The relationship of psychosocial factors to coronary heart disease in the Framingham Study. III. Eight-year incidence of coronary heart disease. , 1980, American journal of epidemiology.

[21]  D. Lester,et al.  Locus of Control and Suicidal Ideation , 1988, Perceptual and motor skills.

[22]  Change in adult self-esteem: a longitudinal assessment. , 1999, The British journal of social psychology.

[23]  Shelley E. Taylor,et al.  Illusion and well-being: a social psychological perspective on mental health. , 1988, Psychological bulletin.

[24]  Nan Lin,et al.  Life stress and health: Stressors and resources. , 1989 .

[25]  S. Murrell,et al.  Protective functions of health and self-esteem against depression in older adults facing illness or bereavement. , 1991, Psychology and aging.

[26]  H. Levenson,et al.  Multidimensional locus of control in psychiatric patients. , 1973, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[27]  S. Chang,et al.  Association between Job Characteristics and Psychosocial Distress of Industrial Workers , 1997 .

[28]  C. Brisson,et al.  Job strain and psychological distress in white-collar workers. , 1996, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[29]  D. Kleinbaum,et al.  Social ties and mortality in Evans County, Georgia. , 1986, American journal of epidemiology.

[30]  Jaana Pentti,et al.  Effect of organisational downsizing on health of employees , 1997, The Lancet.

[31]  B Orendi,et al.  Stress at Work , 1995, In Practice.

[32]  Robert Karasek,et al.  Healthy Work : Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life , 1990 .

[33]  Samuel R. Friedman,et al.  Depression: Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Aspects , 1968 .

[34]  C. Cooper,et al.  Stress, Type-A, Coping, and Psychological and Physical Symptoms: A Multi-Sample Test of Alternative Models , 1990 .

[35]  D. J. Lee.  Society and the Adolescent Self-Image , 1969 .

[36]  K. Kiecolt,et al.  Stress and the decision to change oneself: A theoretical model. , 1994 .

[37]  D. Lester,et al.  Frequencies of Dreams and Day-Dreams and Locus of Control 1 , 1989 .

[38]  D. Cartwright.  Social Learning and Clinical Psychology. , 1955 .

[39]  G. Metalsky,et al.  Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. , 1989 .