Exploring the relationship between work-related rumination, sleep quality, and work-related fatigue.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the association between three conceptualisations of work-related rumination (affective rumination, problem-solving pondering and detachment) with sleep quality and work-related fatigue. It was hypothesised that affective rumination and poor sleep quality would be associated with increased fatigue; and problem-solving pondering, and detachment would be associated with decreased fatigue. The mediating effect of sleep quality on the relationship between work-related rumination and fatigue was also tested. Method: An on-line questionnaire was completed by a heterogeneous sample of 719 adult workers in diverse occupations. Results: The following variables were entered as predictors in a regression model: affective rumination, problem-solving pondering, detachment, and sleep quality. The dependent variables were chronic work-related fatigue (CF) and acute work-related fatigue (AF). Affective rumination was the strongest predictor of increased CF and AF. Problem-solving pondering was a significant predictor of decreased CF and AF. Poor sleep quality was predictive of increased CF and AF. Detachment was significantly negatively predictive for AF. Sleep quality partially mediated the relationship between affective rumination and fatigue; and between problem-solving pondering and fatigue. Conclusions: Work-related affective rumination appears more detrimental to an individual's ability to recover from work than problem-solving pondering. In the context of identifying mechanisms by which demands at work are translated into ill-health, this appears to be a key finding; and suggests that it is the type of work-related rumination, not rumination per se, that is important.

Internet-based instructor-led mindfulness for work-related rumination, fatigue, and sleep: Assessing facets of mindfulness as mechanisms of change. A randomized waitlist control trial.

“…To be eligible for inclusion, participants had to meet the following criteria: 1) 18 years of age or older; 2) working a minimum of 30 hours per week; 3) ability to commit two hours (minimum) per week for the duration of the course; 4) access to the Internet at home; 5) not receiving any other form of psychological therapy and no plans to start any other form of psychological therapy during the study; 6) no previous experience of mindfulness or meditation; 7) living and working in the United Kingdom (UK); and 8) reporting moderate to high levels of work-related affective rumination. Affective workrelated rumination was chosen as an inclusion criterion because previous literature suggests it is more damaging to recovery than other forms of work-related rumination (see, e.g., Querstret & Cropley, 2012). In order to assess levels of affective rumination, participants completed the work-related rumination questionnaire (WRRQ; Cropley, Michalianou, Pravettoni, & Millward, 2012) and their affective rumination score had to be 15 or higher.…”

“…The cut-off score for affective rumination was based on data reported in a recent large-scale cross-sectional study (N=719; Querstret & Cropley, 2012), and participants' scores had to fall a minimum of one standard deviation above the mean reported in that study.…”

“…It is also associated with increased physical symptom reporting (Hazlett & Haynes, 1992), intrusive off-task thoughts (Sarason, Pierce, & Sarason, 1996), negative self-evaluations, diminished feelings of control and feelings of helplessness (Lyubomirsky, Kasri, & Zehm, 2003). Furthermore, laboratory studies have shown prolonged physiological arousal and delayed recovery in individuals who ruminate (Roger & Jamieson, 1988) and many studies show that rumination interferes with sleep (Akerstedt et al, 2002;Berset, Elfering, Luthy, Luthi, & Semmer, 2011;Cropley et al, 2006;Querstret & Cropley, 2012;Thomsen, Mehlsen, Christensen, & Zachariae, 2003;Thomsen, Mehlsen, Hokland, Viidik, Olesen, Arlund et al, 2004;Zoccola, Dickerson, & Lam, 2009). 9 Fatigue, sleep and recovery from work Fatigue, driven by increased psychophysiological workload and reduced sleep, has been recognised as a major consequence of increased work intensity (Harma, Kompier, & Vahtera, 2006).…”

“…Given that the effect of the intervention on affective rumination was fully mediated by its effect on acting with awareness; and in light of previous research suggesting affective rumination may be causal for acute and chronic workrelated fatigue (e.g., see Querstret & Cropley, 2012), we examined affective rumination as a mediator for both forms of work-related fatigue in a serial mediation model with acting with awareness (see Table 5). In addition, in light of the fact that the two forms of work-related 27 rumination share high levels of variance (Querstret & Cropley, 2012), we also assessed a serial mediation model involving acting with awareness and affective rumination for problem-solving pondering as the outcome. Table 5 shows that an increase in acting with awareness and subsequent reduction in affective rumination mediated the effect of the intervention on chronic fatigue and problemsolving pondering.…”

The power of presence: The role of mindfulness at work for daily levels and change trajectories of psychological detachment and sleep quality.

“…Psychological detachment in turn is related to sleep quality. Researchers have argued that insufficient detachment from work and rumination during non-work time causes a mental continuation of work demands and work stressors and thereby impedes successful recovery (Querstret & Cropley, 2012;Sonnentag et al, 2008). This results in continued psychophysiological activation during non-work time that hinders sleep (Querstret & Cropley, 2012).…”