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The many changes that have occurred in the current organization of work has created new problems in the health and safety of workers, one of these is the stress at work, reflecting a growing concern in the world of work.

This situation is conceptualized as the set of phenomena that occur in the body of the worker with the participation of harmful stressors arising directly from work or in connection with this, can affect the health of the worker.

“Work-related stress has increased in incidence in the field of work and is a major cause of absenteeism, improper influences decisions, misjudgments and low staff morale. On the physical level also has negative effects or diseases causing disorders ranging from irritability, depression, anxiety, to more complex diseases such as ulcers, asthma, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, “says Claudia Contreras, professor in the School of Nursing at the Universidad Andres Bello, Chile.

“However, despite all these negative effects that stress has yet to receive proper care and companies and institutions invest sufficient resources to develop programs that help prevent and address this issue,” he warns.

Psychosocial Factors
According to the nurse, psychosocial factors at work represent the perceptions and experiences of workers, some are individual in nature, others refer to economic prospects and personal development and more to human relationships and emotional aspects.

“These factors consist of interactions between work, their working environment, job satisfaction and organizational conditions on the one hand and on the other hand, the worker’s personal characteristics, their needs, their culture, their experiences and perceptions the world, “he says.

“The major psychosocial stressors present in the working environment involve aspects of organization, administration and systems of work and certainly the quality of human relations,” he adds.

“Other factors outside the workplace but which are closely intertwined with the concerns arising from worker’s family circumstances or his private life, its cultural elements, their nutrition, their transportation facilities, housing, health and job security, “he stresses.

Major symptoms and effects
The nurse describes the major symptoms of stress:

# Physical: cardiovascular problems, allergies, skin problems, migraine headaches, breathing difficulties, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal problems.

# Psychological: anxiety, boredom, frustration, irritability, isolation, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, memory loss.

# Behavior: aggression, alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders, conflicts, absenteeism, decreased production, increased susceptibility to accidents.

The professional stresses that the effects of stress in the workplace are numerous, among these states:

# Contributes to increased risk of accidents
# You can affect performance and absenteeism

# You can create an unhealthy working environment in work organization
# It can be a risk factor for disease
# May be a risk factor of incapacity due to somatic and psychological disorders

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