Work stress in the military: prevalence, causes, and relationship to emotional health
1Mental Health Services Flight Commander, F. E. Warren Air Force Base, WY 82005, USA.
Objective:
This study examined the prevalence and sources of occupational stress for military personnel and the relationship between work stress and emotional health in the military population.
Methods:
Four hundred seventy-two active duty military personnel stationed at F. E. Warren Air Force Base completed a 65-item survey that included items involving reported life events, perceptions about occupational stress, and perceptions about the relationship between work stress and emotional health.
Results:
These military personnel were significantly more likely to report suffering from job stress than civilian workers (p < 0.001). One-quarter (26%) reported suffering from significant work stress, 15% reported that work stress was causing them significant emotional distress, and 8% reported experiencing work stress that was severe enough to be damaging their emotional health. Generic work stressors were endorsed more frequently than military-specific stressors.
Conclusions:
More than one-quarter of this sample of military personnel reported suffering from significant work stress and a significant number of these individuals suffered serious emotional distress. These results support previous research suggesting that work stress may be a significant occupational health hazard in the U.S. military.
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