Burnout, working conditions and gender - results from the northern Sweden MONICA Study

Abstract

BackgroundSick-leave because of mental and behavioural disorders has increased considerably in Sweden since the late nineties, and especially in women. The aim of this study was to assess the level of burnout in the general working population in northern Sweden and analyse it's relation to working conditions and gender.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study the survey from the MONICA-study (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease) in northern Sweden 2004 was used. A burnout instrument, the Shirom Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ), was incorporated in the original survey which was sent to a random sample of 2500 individuals with a response rate of 76%. After including only actively working people, aged 25-64 years, our study population consisted of 1000 participants (497 women and 503 men). ANOVA and multiple linear regression models were used.ResultsThe prevalence of a high level of burnout (SMBQ >4.0) was 13%. Women had a higher level of burnout than men with the most pronounced difference in the age group 35-44 years. In both sexes the level of burnout decreased with age. Demand and control at work, and job insecurity were related to burnout. In women the level of education, socioeconomic position, work object, and working varying hours were of importance. Interaction effects were found between sex and work object, and sex and working hours. In a multiple regression analysis almost half of the gender difference could be explained by work related and life situational factors.ConclusionsWorking life conditions contributed to the level of burnout in this actively working sample from the general population in northern Sweden. Especially in women, socioeconomic position was associated with burnout. The high level of burnout in women compared to men was partly explained by more unfavourable working conditions and life situational factors. Efforts to level out gender differences in burnout should probably focus on improving both working and socioeconomic conditions for women.

Comparación entre los predictores del estrés laboral según el nivel de actividad física, edad, género y antigüedad laboral en un grupo de funcionarios administrativos del sector público costarricense

“…Ante esta situación, una mayor afectación sobre las mujeres puede estar asociada a un incremento en la sobrecarga de funciones debido a la multiplicidad de roles, generando con ello cambios constantes y tensiones permanentes que se trasladan de un contexto al otro, en comparación con los hombres (Catalina et al, 2008;González, 2006;Norlund et al, 2010;Oblitas, 2006;Pavlakis et al, 2010;Ranchal y Vaquero, 2008;Straub, 2007). Además, aspectos como la dinámica de trabajo, la deficiente estructura organizativa, la falta de cooperación y la complejidad de tareas que se presentan muy a menudo de manera similar y repetitiva, tienen una importante influencia sobre la intensidad y frecuencia de los predictores de estrés laboral (Assadi, 2003;Torres et al, 2010).…”

“…Esta situación genera cambios constantes y permanentes tensiones que se trasladan de un contexto al otro (González, 2006;Oblitas, 2006;Straub, 2007;Weinberg y Gould, 2007). Factores como el agotamiento físico y mental, el doble rol laboral, la inseguridad laboral, las menores posibilidades de desarrollo laboral y la falta integración social constituyen algunos de los principales factores de riesgo que tienen un rango de afectación mayor en comparación con los hombres (Aranda, 2006;Catalina,Corrales,Ibermutuamur,Cortés y Gelpi, 2008;Pavlakis et al, 2010;Norlund et al, 2010).…”

Useful life lessons for health and well-being: adults’ reflections of childhood experiences illuminate the phenomenon of the inner child

“…People who experience their working situation as stressful and mentally exhausting most often have low educational and poor socio-economic background, according to Norlund et al (2010). They explain that these factors are more strongly related to stress than to gender differences.…”

Burnout and Association with Psychosocial Work Environment among Swedish Firefighters

“…In Sweden, the prevalence was shown to vary between 13% and 17.9% (Lindblom, Linton, Fedeli, & Bryngelsson, 2006;Magnusson Hanson, Theorell, Oxenstierna, Hyde, & Westerlund, 2008;Norlund et al, 2010). Burnout is a multidimensional syndrome that occurs primarily in professions where the practitioners are working closely with people in intense and stressful interactions Norlund et al, 2010).…”