Work routine and psychological strain during unsafe living circumstances: Toward an integrative model.

Abstract

This study takes an integrative, multidimensional approach to study the role of work in civilians’ lives during continuous unsafe circumstances. Two hundred ninety-four individuals working and living in northern Israel completed a survey following the Second Lebanon War (July-August, 2006). Attendance work routine (i.e., reporting to work as usual) was found to be associated with low levels of war-related strain, whereas performance constraints (i.e., barriers to the ability to perform as usual) were found to be associated with high levels of war-related strain. The need to engage in extra effort at work was positively related to strain only among civilians reporting high war preparedness. War preparedness also amplified the negative association between attendance and strain. Finally, among employees who felt that they were involuntary forced to attend work during the war, the negative association between attendance and strain was amplified.