Diabetes at work, fatigue in relation to job characteristics, diabetes symptoms and self-management

Abstract

Job stress, fatigue and diabetes mellitusJob stress and fatigue are widely known phenomena that have been studied extensively. Most studies have been performed in the general working population, or in specific work segments. There are studies aimed at determining risk groups for developing fatigue that focused especially on differences between men and women, different age groups, specific professions (such as interpersonal professions, like nurses and teachers) and educational levels. 1 However, in organizational psychology, not enough research has been carried out into employees with diabetes, especially because in the Netherlands, 70% to 75% of the people with diabetes have employment. 2 This thesis is dedicated to employees with insulin-treated diabetes and focuses specifically on the relationships between job stress, diabetes symptoms, diabetes self-management and fatigue.Every employee has to deal with job demands. Under particular circumstances such demands may develop into stressors that lead to health complaints such as chronic fatigue and related psychological disorders such as burnout and depression. Employees with a chronic disease have to deal not only with ordinary job demands, but with the burden of their disease and its treatment as well. This might easily turn job demands into stressors. Hence, it is expected that -compared to employees without a chronic medical problem -their risk of fatigue and fatigue-related health complaints will be higher.Fatigue is a strong predictor of future work disability and the risk of receiving workers' compensation is even higher in the case of people with a chronic condition. 3 In the Netherlands, one third of those who are incapacitated for work (under the Disablement Insurance Act, Dutch abbreviation: WAO) suffer from mental problems, 4 of which chronic fatigue is a core aspect. Fatigue is not only related to mental problems, but also to physical problems 5,6 So, it is important from a psychological as well as a socio-economic perspective to prevent chronic fatigue and work disability.Social security is a valued privilege of employees in the Netherlands and many other industrialized societies. It is often of essential value to employees with chronic diseases. However, early retirement is costly from an economic point of view and disabling from a psychosocial perspective. In the Netherlands, there were and there are still many debates about the WAO, due to the large number of Dutch inhabitants who receive WAO compensation and the considerable costs involved. Recent Dutch occupational disability legislation ('Wet Verbetering Poortwachter') provides stricter rules for admission to occupational disability benefits. Its focus is on abilities rather than on disabilities. Both employees and employers have a responsibility to reduce work-related health complaints, sickness absence and work disability. A greater insight 21. Meijman TF. Over vermoeidheid: arbeidspsychologische studies naar beleving van belastingseffecten [Fatigue: studies on the perception of workload ...