Women go through more stress at work.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: High levels of job stress may increase the risk of sick leave due to mental health disorders, a new study has suggested.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 12,000 workers in Sweden, and over five years, about 8 percent of the workers took mental health sick leave. Three-quarters of those who took mental health sick leave were women, reported HealthDay, the news arm of WebMD.
“Workers with demanding jobs, high job strain and little social support at work were at greater risk for mental health sick leave,” as were those with unhealthy lifestyles. Smoking was a significant risk factor for mental health sick leave, but alcohol use was not found be.
“While everyone experiences stress at times, a prolonged bout of it can affect your health and ability to cope with life,” warns the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “That’s why social support and self-care are important.”
The study also found that high levels of physical activity reduced the risk of mental health sick leave, according to the study in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The research also supports conclusions reached in previous studies which suggest psychological conditions in the workplace do, in fact, affect the amount of mental health sick leave employees will end up taking.
“Interventions to reduce sick leave due to mental disorders that focus on improving the psychosocial work environment, especially reducing high psychosocial job demands, may prove effective,” wrote the researchers.