The purpose of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of 99 caregivers of individuals with dementia and 95 healthy individuals from the general population in Colombia. The 36-item short-form (SF-36), a self-report measure composed of 8 component areas (physical function, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, energy/vitality, social function, role-emotional, and mental health), was used to measure HRQoL. Results indicated that the healthy control group had a higher level of education, socioeconomic status (SES), and number of male participants. After adjusting for education, SES, and gender, the caregivers of individuals with dementia scored significantly lower on all of the SF-36 subscales than the healthy controls. These findings suggest the need for rehabilitation health professionals to develop and implement culturally appropriate interventions to improve the HRQoL of caregivers of individuals with dementia in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Work-related stress can be defined as an individual’s reactions to work characteristics and indicates a poor relationship between coping abilities and work environment. If unmanaged, stress can impact mental and physical health (e.g., causing depression and cardiovascular disease). Many individuals use maladaptive stress-coping strategies, such as sedentary activities, unhealthy eating behaviors, and alcohol consumption, which do not contribute to long-term stress management. In contrast, stress reduction programs can help people manage and effectively reduce stress in the long term. OBJECTIVE: To gather the state of the art of work-related stress interventions, their efficacy and applications. METHOD: The PsycINFO and EBSCOHost databases were used. The search was carried out between January 28 and March 30, 2019. Inclusion criteria were full text available, text in English or Spanish and a study population comprising workers. RESULTS: Twenty-nine articles that included interventions involving aromatherapy, bibliotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, exercise, alternative medicine, mindfulness, technology, stress management and sensory intervention were analyzed. The interventions showed significant reductions in stress, anxiety, depression and burnout; however, most of the studies were not based on specific stress models, and control groups often received no intervention whatsoever. As a result, it is challenging to draw conclusions regarding the success of the interventions, especially if they are novel. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is a broad portfolio of successful interventions regarding work-related stress. Most of the successful interventions were based on mindfulness; however, aerobic exercise and bibliotherapy may also be successful. The structure and level of evidence appear to be very relevant to the development of a successful intervention.

Objetivo: evaluar los factores psicosociales asociados al estrés en una muestra de profesores de una universidad privada colombiana. Método: Estudio descriptivo correlacional de una muestra intencional de 61 profesores (rango de edad 25 a 63 años; 65,6 % hombres). Se utilizaron el cuestionario de salud del paciente PHQ-9, Cuestionario de Ansiedad generalizada GAD-7, Escala de estrés percibido PSS-14 y un cuestionario sobre factores psicosociales laborales. Adicionalmente se midió la presión arterial. Resultados: El 21.3 % de los profesores presentan niveles significativos de estrés. Hay mayor necesidad de trabajar en casa, interferencia familia-trabajo y trabajo-familia en profesores con estrés, mientras que el control es menor. Cabe anotar que estos profesores también presentan mayor sintomatología emocional. El modelo final mostró que la necesidad de trabajar en casa y la interferencia familia–trabajo explican el 45,6 % de la varianza en el estrés laboral de los profesores.

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