Statement 16

  ‘Home and work life are separate’

(Answer: False)

  While it may appear that work life and life outside of work are separate, this is not actually the case. Events at work can impact on home life and vice versa. For example, an employee who has a happy marriage, a good social support network and stable home life outside of work is likely to be in a better position to cope with a stressful work situation caused by a lack of support and social contact at work. The supports outside of work can act as a source of support which can buffer that individual against stress at work. However, someone who does not have these support networks in their personal life may be more vulnerable to experiencing stress at work. Also, if an employee is experiencing stress at work, they may become more irritable and moody with family, friends and acquaintances in their personal life. This in turn can lead to increased arguments and conflicts outside of work. Thus, it can be seen that home and work life can and often do impact on each other.

How well did you do in the quiz?

  If you got 16 out of 16, well done! However, do not worry if you did not get full marks. What is important is that you learn from what you have read and that some of the myths surrounding occupational stress have been dispelled. Having tested your knowledge of stress, the next section in this chapter aims to help you identify how much stress you are currently experiencing.

How stressed are you?

  Earlier in this chapter the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural signs and symptoms of stress in the individual were outlined (pp. 6–7). These have been summarized in the form of a checklist (Table 1.2). In order to identify the symptoms and the severity of the stress you are currently experiencing, you are requested to complete the checklist. You will notice that there are a number of physical symptoms listed. The assumption being made when you complete this checklist is that any medical causes of these symptoms have already been investigated and eliminated by your doctor. If this is not the case, it is important that you get these checked in the first instance by your doctor to exclude any medical condition. For example, it would be unwise to simply assume that breathlessness and palpitations are symptoms of stress without having this confirmed by your doctor. It is also important to be aware that this is not a sophisticated diagnostic tool but a checklist aimed at giving you an indication of how much stress and what symptoms you are experiencing at the present time.

Table 1.2 A stress checklist

 

 

  Note: This table is available to view and print from the following website: www.routledgementalhealth.com/9780415671781

A stress checklist

  For each item presented in Table 1.2, please indicate on the 1 to 5 scale the symptoms and severity of the symptoms that you have been experiencing over the past month by ticking the appropriate box.

Scoring and interpreting the checklist (Table 1.2)

  Each item on the checklist is rated from 1 to 5. A score of 1 on an item indicates that you have never experienced that symptom over the past month, whereas a score of 5 indicates that you have been experiencing that symptom constantly over the past month. The higher the score, the more severe the symptom (1 = Never; 2 = Seldom; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often; 5 = Always). If you scored between 47 and 93 this indicates that you are currently experiencing a low level of stress, a score between 94 and 140 indicates a moderate level of stress, a score between 141 and 187 indicates a high level of stress and a score of 188 or more indicates a very high level of stress.