Stress has become the most common health and safety problem at work, mainly affecting staff in the public sector, a study has shown.
A survey of almost 2,000 union safety reps by the TUC found that stress was more of an issue in larger workplaces and was most common in London.
Seven out of 10 union officials in the capital said stress was a hazard at work, more than any part of the UK.
Stress
Other problems reported included bullying and harassment, which had increased massively over the past two years, heavy workloads and back strains, said the TUC.
Concerns about asbestos in workplaces also increased.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Stress can be caused by heavy workloads, cuts in staffing, long hours and bullying.
“The economic crisis and redundancies have created more anxiety about job security, and as the spending cuts begin to bite and even more jobs start to go, stress at work is bound to increase.
“Unions and employers must work together to combat stress at work as it can have a devastating impact on workers and a damaging cost on businesses.”
- Similar posts
- UK rates of suicide and depression rising (15.6%)
- Fish pedicures concerns (12.5%)
- Pesticide link to Parkinson's disease (12.5%)
- Heart attacks on the rise (12.5%)
- Foods and body acidity (12.5%)
Scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy-using meditation-provides equivalent protection against depressive relapse as traditional antidepressant medication.
The study compared the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) by studying people who were initially treated with an antidepressant and then, either stopped taking the medication in order to receive MBCT, or continued taking medication for 18 months.
Study participants who were diagnosed with major depressive disorder were all treated with an antidepressant until their symptoms remitted.
They were then randomly assigned to come off their medication and receive MBCT; come off their medication and receive a placebo; or stay on their medication.
The novelty of this design permits comparing the effectiveness of sequencing pharmacological and psychological treatments versus maintaining the same treatment – antidepressants – over time.
Participants in MBCT attended 8 weekly group sessions and practiced mindfulness as part of daily homework assignments.
Clinical assessments were conducted at regular intervals, and over an 18 months period, relapse rates for patients in the MBCT group did not differ from patients receiving antidepressants whereas patients receiving placebo relapsed at a significantly higher rate.
The study has been published in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.