BackgroundThe prevalence of anxiety disorders has been increasing in South Korea, with recent studies reporting anxiety disorders as the most common mental disorder among all South Korean females. Anxiety disorders, which are independent risk factors of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, are significantly correlated with productivity loss, high medical costs, impaired work performance, and frequent worker absence, and thus are potentially serious problems affecting the health of South Korean female workers. In previous studies, anxiety disorders were shown to have a significant correlation with occupational stress. This study seeks to examine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms as well as the relationship between occupational stress and anxiety symptoms among South Korean female manufacturing workers.MethodsA structured self-reported questionnaire was administered to 1,141 female workers at an electrical appliance manufacturing plant. The questionnaire collected data on general characteristics, health behaviors, sleep quality, job characteristics (shift work, shift work schedule, and job tenure), occupational stress, and anxiety symptoms. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, occupational stress with the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF), and anxiety symptoms with the Korean version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. A chi square test was conducted to determine the distribution differences in anxiety symptoms based on general characteristics, health behaviors, job characteristics, and sleep quality. A linear-by-linear association test was used to determine the distribution differences between anxietysymptoms and the levels of occupational stress. Last, logistic regression analysis was used in order to determine the association between occupational stress and anxiety symptoms.ResultsThe prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 15.2 %. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis that adjusted for sleep quality and general characteristics, a significantassociation was found for those with anxiety disorders; the odds ratios (OR) were significantly higher the greater the total KOSS-SF score (moderate-risk group OR=2.85, 95 % CI=1.79–4.56; high-risk group OR=5.34, 95 % CI=3.59–7.96). In addition, excluding insufficient job control, all other KOSS-SF subscales were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms, and a relatively high OR was seen in the high-risk group for job demand (OR=3.19, 95 % CI=2.27–4.49), job insecurity (OR=4.52, 95 % CI=2.86–7.13), and occupational culture (OR=4.52, 95 % CI=2.90–7.04).ConclusionThere was a significant association between anxiety symptoms and occupational stress stemming from the psychosocial work environment among these South Korean female manufacturing workers. Future longitudinal studies are needed to examine the association between the occupational stress caused by the psychosocial work environment and the incidence of anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, intervention programs that aim to address the prevalence...

Background: The study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of a cognitive-behavioral stress management program on psychosocial stress, mood states, and ways of coping with stress for emergency department (ED) nurses. Methods: The study design was a non-equivalent control group with a pre/post design. The study was conducted from July 1, to September 30, 2016. The sample population comprised nurses who work in ED in Seoul, South Korea. The sample size was 79 which included 39 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group. Seven sessions of a program (50 minutes/session) were provided over 4weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: the   -test and the t-test with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. Results: There were statistically significant differences in psychosocial stress, mood states, and ways of coping with stress between the experimental group and the control group. However, the sub-hypothesis regarding the degree of using passive coping skills was not supported. Conclusion:The results of this study indicate that a cognitive-behavioral stress management program for ED nurses is effective in reducing psychosocial stress, changing mood states positively, and improving ways of coping with stress effectively.