The Usefulness of Assessing and Identifying Workers’ Temperaments and Their Effects on Occupational Stress in the Workplace

Abstract

The relationship between temperaments and mental disorders has been reported in previous studies, but there has been little attention to temperaments in the occupational safety and health research. The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of temperaments on occupational stress among local government employees. The subjects were 145 Japanese daytime workers in local government. Temperaments were assessed by the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Auto questionnaire (TEMPS-A). Occupational stress was assessed using the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire (GJSQ). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used. Hyperthymic temperament predicted a higher level of job control, and a lower level of role ambiguity and job future ambiguity. Irritable temperament predicted a lower level of social support from supervisors and a higher level of role conflict, variance in workload and intragroup conflict. Anxious temperament predicted a lower level of social support from coworkers and a higher level of job future ambiguity. The sample size was small. Only Japanese local government employees were surveyed. Hyperthymic temperament played a protective role, and irritable, anxious temperament played a vulnerable role against one’s own occupational stress and recognizing the roles they play in work life would lead to self-insight. Additionally, recognition of the temperaments and temperament-related stressors by one’s supervisors or coworkers would facilitate provision of social support.

Affective Temperament is Associated with Stress Coping Strategies and Work Stress Perception Among Polish Bank Employees

“…15 Deguchi et al found a strong correlation between affective temperament and work stress perception in government administration workers. 24 Similar results were obtained by Polish authors who found a relationship between the depressive and anxiety dimensions and a higher risk of burnout syndrome and poorer health condition in nurses and civil servants. 16 Stress coping is defined as the process by which a person manages stress.…”

“…Hyperthymic temperament is associated with openness, ability to work under time and psychological pressure, and better functioning in stressful work situations. 16,24 As we predicted, the most common coping style was focused on task, which is connected with ability to constructive problem solving, and to reasonable planning as well. Managers obtained a higher score for hyperthymic temperament and a lower score for style focused on emotions than nonmanagers.…”

“…Deguchi et al obtained similar results, reporting that irritable temperament was associated with perception of low support from managers and coworkers and high sensitivity to interpersonal conflict at the workplace, while anxious temperament was associated with perception of low support from managers and coworkers, and high fear of job loss. 24 They also found that hyperthymic temperament was associated with better job control, better ability to make decisions and manage job tasks, and lower general perception of job stress. The present study performed in bank workers does not fully confirm these results.…”

“… 15 Deguchi et al found a strong correlation between affective temperament and work stress perception in government administration workers. 24 …”

Temperament and professional quality of life among Japanese nurses

“…The TEMPS‐A examined relations between temperament, suicidal risk and bipolar disorders and found that suicide attempts or ideation and bipolar disorders are associated with anxious, cyclothymic, depressive and irritable temperaments (Mitsui et al, ; Toda et al, ; Vázquez, Gonda, Lolich, Tondo, & Baldessarini, ). In addition, other studies in non‐clinical fields investigated associations between nurses’ temperament and depressive symptoms and reported that a hyperthymic temperament played a role in protecting subjects from stress and depression and that depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments were significantly associated with burnout, depression and over‐commitment (Deguchi et al, ; Jaracz et al, ; Kikuchi et al, ; Kikuchi, Nakaya, Ikeda, Takeda, & Nishi, ).…”