Fifty-two Indian military parachutist trainees were studied throughout the training period to investigate effects of stress in parachutist training on performance efficiency. Stress attributable to fear, anxiety, and apprehension about the inherent risk of paratrooping was studied along with physiological and biochemical changes. An attempt is made to correlate personality traits with performance efficiency. In cognitive and psychomotor tests, maximum deterioration was seen before the tower jump and aircraft jump. The deterioration was correlated with the level of anxiety and urinary catecholamine levels. Inter-correlations between anxiety, catecholamine, and blood pressure were positive, and the level of anxiety was seen to be affecting the quality of performance adversely.

The Indian workplace is rapidly changing in accordance with the economic conditions, technology, corporate employment practices and demographic trends of the country. Globalisation has had strong implications on the attitudes of women, their work and health. This paper provides a profile of work-related health status that arises from a mixed pattern of employment, work processes and social support system. Major social, biological and chemical hazards are likely to be encountered in traditional female employment. Empirical studies have indicated that global stress perceived by women at the workplace include psychological and physical work demands, job control, anticipation of job loss, assessment of work associates, fear of abuse, family functions and stressful life events. It is difficult for working women to manage and balance their responsibilities. Social support at the family level is fading away due to increasing nuclear family norms, and at the organisational level due to automation systems. Most women muddle through, worrying and fighting with their problems in isolation. This leads to psychological and emotional stress, thereby increasing psychosomatic complaints. Support from the organisation, family and friends has increasingly been recognised as useful in reducing stress, protecting health and enhancing quality of life. The paper speaks of techniques of improving the social support network.