| 1. |
- Almén, Niclas, 1971-
(författare)
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Intervening Stress Recovery Behaviors in Everyday Life
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background. High levels of perceived stress and stress-related ill health, such as burnout, are common in many countries. Several theories postulate that stress behaviors promote adaption to environmental changes and if sustained they are potentially harmful for the body. In accordance, impaired stress recovery behaviors, i.e., psychophysiological deactivation after periods of stress behaviors, have been suggested to be a critical factor in explaining stress-related ill health. Whereas research shows that interventions targeting stress reactivity can have beneficial effects on stress-related variables, studies on interventions targeting stress recovery are surprisingly few. Also, the number of validated instruments for measuring behaviors important for stress recovery are few, in particular easily used self-rating scales. Aims. The primary aim of the thesis was to evaluate stress and health-related effects of an intervention targeting stress recovery behaviors in everyday life among people perceiving high levels of stress in life. A secondary aim was to validate a self-report scale measuring behaviors important for stress recovery in everyday life. Method. Three empirical studies were conducted to evaluate effects of the behavioral stress recovery intervention “balance in everyday life”, which solely aims at strengthening stress recovery behaviors in everyday life. First, a brief version of the intervention was investigated through a small pilot study in which a single-subject experimental design was used (study 1). After that, the intervention was exploratively tested in a group format in which a quasi-experimental design was used (study 2). Due to the positive results of these two studies, a larger scale study using a randomized controlled design was conducted in order to further investigate the effects of the intervention when delivered in a group format (study 3). To fulfill the secondary aim of the thesis, the Recovery Experience Questionnaire was translated into Swedish and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (study 4). Results. In study 1, data demonstrated immediate reduction of stress symptoms as a function of the intervention. The improvements were maintained at 1-year and 5-year follow-up assessments. In study 2, in comparison with a waiting-list-control group, the intervention yielded statistically significant improvements between pre- and postintervention assessment on eleven out of twelve stress and health-related variables. Medium to large between-groups effect sizes were demonstrated for the primary outcome measures covering (potential) recovery behaviors, perceived stress and rest and experiences of being recovered. In the third study, statistically significant improvements for all outcome measures at postintervention assessment and at the 3-month follow-up were demonstrated. The between-groups effect sizes for the primary measures - perceived stress, tension, and burnout - were medium-to-high at postintervention assessment and at follow-up. In addition, in all studies the intervention was associated with beneficial changes in levels of anxiety and depression. In the last study, support was found for the proposed four-factor structure of the Swedish version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire. Conclusions. The results clearly indicate that the intervention “balance in everyday life” improves stress and health-related factors in a relatively satisfactory way among people perceiving high levels of stress in life. The empirical support is strongest for the reduction in tension, perceived stress, burnout, anxiety and depression, and to deliver the intervention in a group format. The studies demonstrated results that warrant further investigation of the effects of “balance in everyday life”, for example in different contexts, and to study other behavioral recovery interventions. To test (potential) recovery facilitating behaviors as mediators of intervention effects, such as reduction in burnout, the Swedish version of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire could be used.
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| 2. |
- Ingre, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Sleep length as a function of morning shift-start time in irregular shift schedules for train drivers : self-rated health and individual differences.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Chronobiol Int. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1525-6073 .- 0742-0528. ; 25:2, s. 349-58
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sleep length as a function of morning shift-start time in irregular shift schedules for train drivers: self-rated health and individual differences.Ingre M, Kecklund G, Akerstedt T, Söderström M, Kecklund L.Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden. michael.ingre@stressforskning.su.seForty-six male train drivers (mean age = 46.5, SD = 5.1) were recruited to participate in a diary study for 14 consecutive days with questions about their sleep and working hours. A polynomial mixed-effect regression model showed a curvilinear relation ( p < .001) between shift-start time and sleep duration for shifts starting at 03:00-12:00 hand with a near linear increase for ones starting between 04:30 and 09:00 h of approximately 0.7 h for every 1 h the shift was delayed. The longest sleeps were estimated at approximately 8 h before shifts that started at approximately 10:00 h. The shortest sleeps were found for shifts that started before 04:30 h and were estimated at approximately 5 h. Individual differences were estimated with a random-effect standard deviation of 0.51 h, independent of shift start time ( p = .005). One-half of the between-subject variance was explained by subjective health. A one-step decrease in health was associated with a 26 min increase in sleep length. The results have practical implications for constructing shift schedules. Early morning shifts reduced sleep length substantially and should be mixed with later start hours to avoid the accumulation of sleep dept. Delaying the shift-start past 10:00 h had little effect on sleep opportunity; however, delaying shift-start to between 04:30 and 9:00 h had a strong impact on sleep length, with 70% of the extra time used for sleep, suggesting large positive effects for this range of shift-start times.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Kecklund, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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The TRAIN-project: Effects of Organizational Factors, Automatic Train Control, Work Hours, and Environment: Suggestions for Safety-Enhancing Measures
- 2003
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomic Society, 47th Annual Meeting. ; , s. 1835-1839
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of the TRAIN project was to describe and analyse the train drivers information environment, working hours, work situation and work environment and their effect on drivers' behaviour and the train driver system safety as well as to propose safety enhancing measures. The results indicate several problems of significance to the train driver system safety, which have been grouped into three main areas; organizational support functions, information environment including cognitive ergonomics and ATC and also working hours, work situation and work environment.
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| 5. |
- Santoft, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Mediators of Change in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Clinical Burnout
- 2019
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Ingår i: Behavior Therapy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0005-7894 .- 1878-1888. ; 50:3, s. 475-488
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evidence supporting the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for stress-related illness is growing, but little is known about its mechanisms of change. The aim of this study was to investigate potential mediators of CBT for severe stress in form of clinical burnout, using an active psychological treatment as comparator. We used linear mixed models to analyze data from patients (N = 82) with clinical burnout who received either CBT or another psychological treatment in a randomized controlled trial. Potential mediators (i.e., sleep quality, behavioral activation, perceived competence, and therapeutic alliance) and outcome (i.e., symptoms of burnout) were assessed weekly during treatment. The results showed that the positive treatment effects on symptoms of burnout favoring CBT (estimated between-group d = 0.93) were mediated by improvements in sleep quality, ab = -0.017,95% CIasymmetric [-0.037, -0.002], and increase in perceived competence, ab = -0.037, 95% CIasymmetric [-0.070, -0.010]. Behavioral activation, ab = -0.004 [-0.016, 0.007], and therapeutic alliance, ab = 0.002 [-0.006, 0.011], did not significantly mediate the difference in effects between the treatments. Improving sleep quality and increasing perceived competence may thus constitute important process goals in order to attain symptom reduction in CBT for clinical burnout.
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| 6. |
- Santoft, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
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Processes in cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder : Predicting subsequent symptom change
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Anxiety Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 0887-6185 .- 1873-7897. ; 67
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder, little is known about the processes during treatment that bring about change. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the proposed processes of change according to the cognitive model of social anxiety disorder predicted subsequent symptom reduction in CBT delivered as therapist-guided bibliotherapy. We analyzed data from patients with social anxiety disorder (N = 61) who participated in an effectiveness trial of CBT in primary care. Seven putative processes and outcome (i.e., social anxiety) were assessed on a weekly basis throughout treatment. We used linear mixed models to analyze within-person relations between processes and outcome. The results showed a unidirectional effect of reduced avoidance on subsequent decrease in social anxiety. Further, we found support for reciprocal influences between four of the proposed processes (i.e., estimated probability and cost of adverse outcome, self-focused attention, and safety behaviors) and social anxiety. The remaining two processes, (i.e., anticipatory and post-event processing) did not predict subsequent social anxiety, but were predicted by prior symptom reduction. The findings support that several of the change processes according to the cognitive model of social anxiety disorder are involved in symptom improvement.
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| 7. |
- Ahlström, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Fit-for-duty test for estimation of drivers sleepiness level: Eye movements improve the sleep/wake predictor
- 2013
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Part C. - : Elsevier. - 0968-090X .- 1879-2359. ; 26, s. 20-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Driver sleepiness contributes to a considerable proportion of road accidents, and a fit-for-duty test able to measure a drivers sleepiness level might improve traffic safety. The aim of this study was to develop a fit-for-duty test based on eye movement measurements and on the sleep/wake predictor model (SWP, which predicts the sleepiness level) and evaluate the ability to predict severe sleepiness during real road driving. Twenty-four drivers participated in an experimental study which took place partly in the laboratory, where the fit-for-duty data were acquired, and partly on the road, where the drivers sleepiness was assessed. A series of four measurements were conducted over a 24-h period during different stages of sleepiness. Two separate analyses were performed; a variance analysis and a feature selection followed by classification analysis. In the first analysis it was found that the SWP and several eye movement features involving anti-saccades, pro-saccades, smooth pursuit, pupillometry and fixation stability varied significantly with different stages of sleep deprivation. In the second analysis, a feature set was determined based on floating forward selection. The correlation coefficient between a linear combination of the acquired features and subjective sleepiness (Karolinska sleepiness scale, KSS) was found to be R = 0.73 and the correct classification rate of drivers who reached high levels of sleepiness (KSS andgt;= 8) in the subsequent driving session was 82.4% (sensitivity = 80.0%, specificity = 84.2% and AUC = 0.86). Future improvements of a fit-for-duty test should focus on how to account for individual differences and situational/contextual factors in the test, and whether it is possible to maintain high sensitive/specificity with a shorter test that can be used in a real-life environment, e.g. on professional drivers.
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| 8. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Real-Time Adaptation of Driving Time and Rest Periods in Automated Long-Haul Trucking : Development of a System Based on Biomathematical Modelling, Fatigue and Relaxation Monitoring
- 2022
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Ingår i: IEEE transactions on intelligent transportation systems (Print). - : IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC. - 1524-9050 .- 1558-0016. ; 23:5, s. 4758-4766
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hours of service regulations govern the working hours of commercial motor vehicle drivers, but these regulations may become more flexible as highly automated vehicles have the potential to afford periods of in-cab rest or even sleep while the vehicle is moving. A prerequisite is robust continuous monitoring of when the driver is resting (to account for reduced time on task) or sleeping (to account for the reduced physiological drive to sleep). The overall aims of this paper are to raise a discussion of whether it is possible to obtain successful rest during automated driving, and to present initial work on a hypothetical data driven algorithm aimed to estimate if it is possible to gain driving time after resting under fully automated driving. The presented algorithm consists of four central components, a heart rate-based relaxation detection algorithm, a camera-based sleep detection algorithm, a fatigue modelling component taking time awake, time of day and time on task into account, and a component that estimates gained driving time. Real-time assessment of driver fitness is complicated, especially when it comes to the recuperative value of in-cab sleep and rest, as it depends on sleep quality, time of day, homeostatic sleep pressure and on the activities that are carried out while resting. The monotony that characterizes for long-haul truck driving is clearly interrupted for a while, but the long-term consequences of extended driving times, including user acceptance of the key stakeholders, requires further research.
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| 9. |
- Akerstedt, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Accounting for partial sleep deprivation and cumulative sleepiness in the Three-Process Model of alertness regulation.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Chronobiol Int. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1525-6073 .- 0742-0528. ; 25:2, s. 309-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Accounting for partial sleep deprivation and cumulative sleepiness in the Three-Process Model of alertness regulation.Akerstedt T, Ingre M, Kecklund G, Folkard S, Axelsson J.Stress Research Institute, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. torbjorn.akerstedt@ki.seMathematical models designed to predict alertness or performance have been developed primarily as tools for evaluating work and/or sleep-wake schedules that deviate from the traditional daytime orientation. In general, these models cope well with the acute changes resulting from an abnormal sleep but have difficulties handling sleep restriction across longer periods. The reason is that the function representing recovery is too steep--usually exponentially so--and with increasing sleep loss, the steepness increases, resulting in too rapid recovery. The present study focused on refining the Three-Process Model of alertness regulation. We used an experiment with 4 h of sleep/night (nine participants) that included subjective self-ratings of sleepiness every hour. To evaluate the model at the individual subject level, a set of mixed-effect regression analyses were performed using subjective sleepiness as the dependent variable. These mixed models estimate a fixed effect (group mean) and a random effect that accounts for heterogeneity between participants in the overall level of sleepiness (i.e., a random intercept). Using this technique, a point was sought on the exponential recovery function that would explain maximum variance in subjective sleepiness by switching to a linear function. The resulting point explaining the highest amount of variance was 12.2 on the 1-21 unit scale. It was concluded that the accumulation of sleep loss effects on subjective sleepiness may be accounted for by making the recovery function linear below a certain point on the otherwise exponential function.
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| 10. |
- Akerstedt, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Disturbed sleep in shift workers, day workers, and insomniacs.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Chronobiol Int. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1525-6073 .- 0742-0528. ; 25:2, s. 333-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Disturbed sleep in shift workers, day workers, and insomniacs.Akerstedt T, Ingre M, Broman JE, Kecklund G.Stress Research Institute, University of Stockholm, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. torbjorn.akerstedt@ki.seVery little is known about differences in sleep between day and shift workers in representative samples of the population. This study compared a national representative sample (N=3400) of shift (with night shifts) and day workers regarding the different types of sleep disturbances and also the level of sleep symptoms with that of insomnia patients. The results showed very few differences between shift and day workers; only "too little sleep" and "nodding off at work" were marginally higher among shift workers. The results also showed that the complaints of insomnia patients for most sleep disturbances corresponded to the 2nd-16th percentile of the shift workers' levels of complaints. The results suggest, at least with the present questionnaire methodology, that shift work does not appear to be a major source of sleep disturbances and that their complaint levels bear no resemblance to those seen in insomniac patients.
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| 11. |
- Akerstedt, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of context on sleepiness self-ratings during repeated partial sleep deprivation.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Chronobiol Int. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1525-6073 .- 0742-0528. ; 25:2, s. 271-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Effects of context on sleepiness self-ratings during repeated partial sleep deprivation.Akerstedt T, Kecklund G, Axelsson J.Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. torbjorn.akerstedt@ki.seRatings of subjective sleepiness are often used in laboratory and field studies of sleep loss and shifted sleep hours. Some studies suggest that such ratings might fail to reflect sleepiness as shown in physiology or performance. One reason for this may be the influence of the context of the rating. Social interaction or physical activity may mask latent sleepiness. The present study attempted to approach this question. Nine subjects participated in a partial sleep-deprivation experiment (five days of 4 h of time in bed [TIB]), preceded by two baseline days (8 h TIB) and followed by three recovery days (8 h TIB). Sleepiness was self-rated on the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS; scores of 1-9) after a period of relaxation, after a reaction-time test, and after 30 min of free activities. The results showed a strong increase in subjective sleepiness during sleep restriction and a significant difference between conditions. Free activity reduced the self-rated subjective sleepiness by 1.1 KSS units compared to the level of sleepiness self-rated at the end of the reaction-time test. Thus, the results of this study indicate that the context of a sleepiness rating affects the outcome of the rating.
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| 12. |
- Akerstedt, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting road crashes from a mathematical model of alertness regulation--The Sleep/Wake Predictor.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Accid Anal Prev. - : Elsevier BV. - 0001-4575. ; 40:4, s. 1480-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Predicting road crashes from a mathematical model of alertness regulation--The Sleep/Wake Predictor.Akerstedt T, Connor J, Gray A, Kecklund G.Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University and Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. torbjorn.akerstedt@ki.seSleepiness is related to factors such as the time of day, the time since awakening and the duration of prior sleep. The present study investigated whether actual road crashes could be predicted from a mathematical model based on these three factors (the Sleep/Wake Predictor-SWP). Data were derived from a population-based case-control study of serious injury crashes. Data on accident time (or control sampling time) and start and end of prior sleep were entered into the model (blind). The predicted sleepiness values were used in logistic regressions. The results showed a highly significant odds ratio (OR)=1.72 (confidence interval=1.41-2.09) for each incremental step of sleepiness on the output sleepiness scale (nine steps). There was also a significant interaction with blood alcohol level, showing high OR values for high sleepiness levels and alcohol levels above 50 mg% (0.05 g/dl). It was concluded that the model is a good predictor of road crashes beyond that of alcohol level, and that interaction between the two carries a very high risk.
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| 13. |
- Akerstedt, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Sleep and sleepiness in relation to stress and displaced work hours.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Physiol Behav. - : Elsevier BV. - 0031-9384. ; 92:1-2, s. 250-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sleep and sleepiness in relation to stress and displaced work hours.Akerstedt T, Kecklund G, Gillberg M.Karolinska Institutet, Institute for Psychosocial Medicine Box 230, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. torbjorn.akerstedt@ipm.ki.seSleep is an important factor in relation to accidents, long-term health and mortality. Our group has had a long-term commitment to research on sleep regulation and its consequences. Over the years we have demonstrated pronounced effects of night work on sleep and alertness, including electroencephalographically determined sleep during work. We have also demonstrated that experimental displacement of sleep will result in short sleep at daytime and increased physiological sleepiness at night and developed mathematical models for prediction of sleep duration, as well as of sleepiness and risk of sleep-related accidents. We have also looked at the concept of sleep quality and found it dependent on sleep duration, sleep continuity and content of sleep stages 3 and 4. Sleep is also clearly disturbed in patients on long-term sick leave for burnout or in non-patients with high burnout scores, in particular sleep fragmentation is increased and sleep efficiency and sleep stages 3 and 4 (SWS--deep sleep) decreased. The fragmentation in turn seems related to endocrine changes. Present work is focused on bringing this work together, connecting the links from stress to sleep to metabolic changes to disease and long-term sickness absence.PMID: 17585960 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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| 14. |
- Akerstedt, Torbjörn, et al.
(författare)
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Sleep homeostasis during repeated sleep restriction and recovery : support from EEG dynamics.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Sleep. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0161-8105 .- 1550-9109. ; 32:2, s. 217-22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep reduction normally causes a homeostatic response during subsequent recovery sleep, but this does not seem to be true for repeated partial sleep loss. The aim of the present study was to test the response to repeated partial sleep loss through detailed focus on spectral data and parts of sleep. DESIGN: The experiment involved 4 h of sleep across 5 days in the laboratory (partial sleep deprivation [PSD]), followed by 3 days of recovery sleep. PSD was achieved through a delayed bedtime. Nine individuals participated. To avoid "laboratory monotony," subjects were permitted to leave the lab for a few hours each day. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: All sleep stages and the latencies to sleep and slow wave sleep (SWS) showed a significant reduction during PSD. However, SWS and TST (total sleep time) during the first half of sleep increased gradually across days with PSD. During the first recovery sleep, SWS was significantly increased, while stage 1 and latency to stage 3 were reduced. All were back to baseline on the second night of recovery sleep. Summed spectral power during the first 3.8 h of sleep showed a gradual and robust increase (50% above baseline) in the range 1.25-7.25 Hz across days with PSD up to first recovery sleep and then returned to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: SWS and summed power density in a broad low-frequency band respond to repeated partial sleep deprivation in a dose-response fashion during the first 4 h sleep, apparently reflecting a robust and stable homeostatic response to sleep loss.
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| 15. |
- Albrecht, Sophie Charlotte, et al.
(författare)
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Association of work-time control with sickness absence due to musculoskeletal and mental disorders : An occupational cohort study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Health. - : Wiley. - 1341-9145 .- 1348-9585. ; 62:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Work-time control is associated with lower sickness absence rates, but it remains unclear whether this association differs by type of diagnosis and sub-dimension of work-time control (control over daily hours and control over time off) and whether certain vulnerable groups benefit more from higher levels of work-time control.Methods: Survey data from the Finnish 10-town study in 2004 were used to examine if baseline levels of work-time control were associated with register data on diagnose-specific sickness absence for 7 consecutive years (n = 22 599). Cox proportional hazard models were conducted, adjusted for age, sex, education, occupational status, shift work including nights, and physical/mental workload.Results: During follow-up, 2,818 individuals were on sick leave (>= 10 days) due to musculoskeletal disorders and 1724 due to mental disorders. Employees with high (HR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.74-0.87; HR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.70-0.82, respectively) and moderate (HR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.77-0.90; HR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.79-0.91, respectively) levels of control over daily hours/control over time off had a decreased risk of sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders. Sub-group analyses revealed that especially workers who were older benefitted the most from higher levels of work-time control. Neither sub-dimension of work-time control was related to sickness absence due to mental disorders.Conclusions: Over a 7-year period of follow-up, high and moderate levels of work-time control were related to lower rates of sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders, but not due to mental disorders.
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| 16. |
- Albrecht, Sophie C., 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Prospective effects of work-time control on overtime, work-life interference and exhaustion in female and male knowledge workers
- 2024
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 52:2, s. 205-215
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Employee-based flexible working hours are increasing, particularly among knowledge workers. Research indicates that women and men use work–time control (WTC; control over time off and daily hours) differently: while men work longer paid hours, women use WTC to counteract work–life interference. In a knowledge-worker sample, we examined associations between WTC and overtime, work–life interference and exhaustion and tested whether gender moderates the mediating role of overtime. Methods: The sample contained 2248 Swedish knowledge workers. Employing hierarchical regression modelling, we examined effects of control over time off/daily hours on subsequent overtime hours, work–life interference and exhaustion in general and in gender-stratified samples. Using conditional process analysis, we tested moderated mediation models. Results: Control over time off was related to less work–life interference (βmen= −0.117; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.237 to 0.003; βwomen= −0.253; 95% CI: −0.386 to −0.120) and lower exhaustion (βmen= −0.199; 95% CI: −0.347 to −0.051; βwomen= −0.271; 95% CI: −0.443 to −0.100). For control over daily hours, estimates were close to zero. While men worked more overtime (42 min/week), we could not confirm gender moderating the indirect effect of control over time off/daily hours on work–life interference/exhaustion via overtime. Independent of gender, effects of control over time off on work–life interference were partly explained by working fewer overtime hours. Conclusions: Control over time off was related to lower exhaustion and better work–life balance (in particular for women). We found no evidence for men’s work–life interference increasing with higher WTC owing to working more overtime. Knowledge workers’ control over time off may help prevent work–life interference and burnout.
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| 17. |
- Albrecht, Sophie Charlotte, 1988-
(författare)
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The Highs and Lows of Work-Time Control : Exploring the role of control over working hours for health
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Flexible work-time arrangements are thought to create ways of aligning work and private life and facilitate recovery. While temporal flexibility is found to generally bolster work–life balance, its effects on health outcomes are less well known. The present thesis seeks to examine if and how perceived control over working hours benefits workers’ health. Utilising a large Swedish cohort study, four empirical studies explored the association of work-time control (WTC) with subsequent mental and physical health as well as the underlying mechanisms and moderating influences.Study I assessed the factorial structure of an instrument to measure WTC and found two sub-dimensions: control over daily hours (the length, starting and ending times of a workday) and control over time off (the taking of breaks/time/days off, paid and unpaid). Levels of control per sub-dimension were described by demographic and work-related factors for a large sample of Swedish workers. In particular, shift, public sector and female workers reported low levels of WTC.Study II examined effects of control over daily hours and time off on depressive symptoms. Increasing control over time off was related to decreasing depressive symptoms over time, whereas only initial level of control over daily hours was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. For both sub-dimensions of WTC, the direction of this effect was predominantly from perceived control to subsequent depressive symptoms; reversed processes were of less importance.Study III focused on work–life interference as one step on the causal chain between WTC and depressive symptoms and musculoskeletal complaints, respectively. For both sub-dimensions of WTC, part of the effect on depressive symptoms went through work–life interference. Reversed processes played a role between depressive symptoms and work–life interference only. Control over time off was found to mitigate work–life interference and subsequent depressive symptoms more than control over daily hours, albeit with generally small effects. Regarding musculoskeletal complaints, effects were even smaller and work–life interference appeared to be less important.Study IV assessed gender differences in the impact of WTC on work–life interference and exhaustion regarding the mediating role of overtime hours. In a sample of knowledge workers, higher control over time off was associated with lower subsequent work–life interference and exhaustion, while control over daily hours was unrelated to both outcomes. Although men worked more overtime hours than women on average, no evidence was found for men with high control over time off/daily hours to perceive more work–life interference/exhaustion due to increased overtime compared to women.This thesis found that higher levels of WTC were beneficial for a range of health outcomes, which was partly explained by fewer work–life conflicts. While these effects were generally small, control over time off in particular was consistently associated with favourable outcomes in health, work-life balance and working hours. Given that the level of workers’ discretion over working hours varies starkly by work and demographic factors, enhancing the availability of flexible work-time arrangements is in the interest of public health. WTC, with a particular focus on employees’ ability to take time off from work, may improve the daily work–life interface and support a sustainable working life.
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| 18. |
- Albrecht, Sophie C., et al.
(författare)
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The longitudinal relationship between control over working hours and depressive symptoms : Results from SLOSH, a population-based cohort study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0327 .- 1573-2517. ; 215, s. 143-151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Psychosocial work factors can affect depressive moods, but research is inconclusive if flexibility to self-determine working hours (work-time control, WTC) is associated with depressive symptoms over time. We investigated if either sub-dimension of WTC, control over daily hours and control over time off, was related to depressive symptoms over time and examined causal, reversed-causal, and reciprocal pathways.METHODS: The study was based on four waves of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health which is a follow-up of representative samples of the Swedish working population. WTC was measured using a 5-item index. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a brief subscale of the Symptom Checklist. Latent growth curve models and cross-lagged panel models were tested.RESULTS: Best fit was found for a model with correlated intercepts (control over daily hours) and both correlated intercepts and slopes (control over time off) between WTC and depressive symptoms, with stronger associations for control over time off. Causal models estimating impacts from WTC to subsequent depressive symptoms were best fitting, with a standardised coefficient between -0.023 and -0.048.LIMITATIONS: Results were mainly based on self-report data and mean age in the study sample was relatively high.CONCLUSION: Higher WTC was related to fewer depressive symptoms over time albeit small effects. Giving workers control over working hours - especially over taking breaks and vacation - may improve working conditions and buffer against developing depression, potentially by enabling workers to recover more easily and promoting work-life balance.
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| 19. |
- Albrecht, Sophie C., et al.
(författare)
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The mediating effect of work-life interference on the relationship between work-time control and depressive and musculoskeletal symptoms
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - : Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. - 0355-3140 .- 1795-990X. ; 46:5, s. 469-479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives Evidence shows that work-time control (WTC) affects health but underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Work-life interference (WLI) might be a step on the causal pathway. The present study examined whether WLI mediates effects on mental and physical health and contrasted these to other causal pathways.Methods Four biennial waves from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH, N=26 804) were used. Cross-lagged analyses were conducted to estimate if WLI mediated effects from WTC (differentiating between control over daily hours and time off) to subsequent depressive and musculoskeletal symptoms. Other causal directions (reversed mediation, direct and reversed direct effects) and robustness of mediation (by including covariates) were examined.Results WLI partially mediated the relationship of WTC (control over daily hours/time off) with both health outcomes. Indirect effect estimates were small for depressive symptoms (-0.053 for control over time off and -0.018 for control over daily hours) and very small for musculoskeletal symptoms (-0.007 and -0.003, respectively). While other causal directions were generally weaker than causal mediational pathways, they played a larger role for musculoskeletal compared to depressive symptoms. Estimates relating to control over time off were in general larger than for control over daily hours.Conclusions Our results suggest that WLI mediates part of the effect from WTC to mental/musculoskeletal symptoms, but small estimates suggest that (i) WTC plays a small but consistent role in effects on health and (ii) particularly regarding musculoskeletal disorders, other causal directions and mediators need to be further examined.
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| 20. |
- Albrecht, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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Investigating the factorial structure and availability of work time control in a representative sample of the Swedish working population
- 2016
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 44:3, s. 320-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Past research has often neglected the sub-dimensions of work time control (WTC). Moreover, differences in levels of WTC with respect to work and demographic characteristics have not yet been examined in a representative sample. We investigated these matters in a recent sample of the Swedish working population. Methods: The study was based on the 2014 data collection of the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health. We assessed the structure of the WTC measure using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Differences in WTC by work and demographic characteristics were examined with independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVAs and gender-stratified logistic regressions. Results: Best model fit was found for a two-factor structure that distinguished between control over daily hours and control over time off (root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.09; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.99). Women, shift and public-sector workers reported lower control in relation to both factors. Age showed small associations with WTC, while a stronger link was suggested for civil status and family situation. Night, roster and rotating shift work seemed to be the most influential factors on reporting low control over daily hours and time off. Conclusions: Our data confirm the two-dimensional structure underlying WTC, namely the components 'control over daily hours' and 'control over time off'. Women, public-sector and shift workers reported lower levels of control. Future research should examine the public health implications of WTC, in particular whether increased control over daily hours and time off can reduce health problems associated with difficult working-time arrangements.
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| 21. |
- Albrecht, Sophie, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Prospective effects of work-time control on overtime, work-life interference and exhaustion in female and male knowledge workers
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aims: Employee-based flexible working hours are increasing, particularly among knowledge workers. Research indicates that women and men use work–time control (WTC; control over time off and daily hours) differently: while men work longer paid hours, women use WTC to counteract work–life interference. In a knowledge-worker sample, we examined associations between WTC and overtime, work–life interference and exhaustion and tested if gender moderates the mediating role of overtime.Methods: The sample contained 2248 Swedish knowledge workers. Employing hierarchical regression modelling, we examined effects of control over time off/daily hours on subsequent overtime hours, work–life interference and exhaustion in general and in gender-stratified samples. Using conditional process analysis, we tested moderated mediation models.Results: Control over time off was related to less work–life interference (βmen=-0.117; CI95%: -0.237 to 0.003; βwomen=-0.253; CI95%: -0.386 to -0.120) and lower exhaustion (βmen=-0.199; CI95%: -0.347 to -0.051; βwomen=-0.271; CI95%: -0.443 to -0.100). For control over daily hours, estimates were close to zero. While men worked more overtime (42 minutes/week), we could not confirm gender moderating the indirect effect of control over time off/daily hours on work–life interference/exhaustion via overtime. Independent of gender, effects of control over time off on work–life interference were partly explained by working fewer overtime hours.Conclusion: Control over time off was related to lower exhaustion and better work–life balance (in particular for women). We found no evidence for men’s work–life interference increasing with higher WTC due to working more overtime. Knowledge workers’ control over time off may aid to prevent work–life interference and burnout.
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| 22. |
- Amid Hägg, Shadi, 1982-
(författare)
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Sleep disturbances : Consequences and comorbidities
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Sleep disorders are common in the general population, with insomnia and sleep-related breathing disorders being the most common disorders. Since sleep has many important functions, such as a role in consolidation of memories and learning, energy conservation, cardiovascular and immune system regulation, it is not surprising that the disruption of normal sleep may lead to negative health effects and various comorbidities. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of disturbed sleep on various consequences and comorbidities. Methods and results: Papers I and II were based on the Sleep and Health in Women (SHE), a population-based prospective study of women, where a questionnaire was sent to women in 2000 and 2010. In paper I, the study cohort comprised 4,320 women <67 years of age who answered both questionnaires and had worked during the follow-up period. In women, having a long history of insomnia symptoms was associated with an increased risk of self-reported occupational accidents.In paper II, the 4,882 participants who answered the questions regarding nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux and snoring in both questionnaires were included in the study cohort. Women with nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux and snoring were at an increased risk of developing daytime sleepiness and to involuntarily fall asleep during the day. Paper III was based on the RHINE-cohort with participants from seven Northern European centers. The study cohort in paper III comprised the 2,568 smokers in the baseline study that also reported being smokers or former smokers in the follow-up study. It was found that having insomnia symptoms or excessive daytime sleepiness decreases the chance of long-term smoking cessation, and that smoking increases the risk of incident difficulties inducing sleep. Paper IV was the population-based, cross-sectional GA2LEN-survey which was conducted in four major Swedish cities. Paper IV included the 25,901 participants who answered questions regarding both snoring and insomnia symptoms. The combination of snoring and insomnia symptoms was associated with an increased risk of hypertension, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and daytime sleepiness. Conclusions: Disturbed sleep, due to varying causes, influences the risk of occupational accidents, on the chance of successful smoking cessation, on the risk of daytime sleepiness, hypertension, and obstructive lung disease. In clinical consultation, it is important to always inquire about disturbed sleep as it can have an impact on many aspects of health.
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| 23. |
- Andreasson, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Brief report : Contemplate your symptoms and re-evaluate your health. A study on working adults
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Health Psychology. - : SAGE Publications. - 1359-1053 .- 1461-7277. ; 24:11, s. 1562-1567
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated whether self-ratings of health are affected by a symptom rating. A diary including a one-item self-rating of health ("pre-self-rated health"; 1 = excellent, 7 = very poor), a subsequent 26-item rating of symptoms, and thereafter a second (identical) health rating ("post-self-rated health") was completed by 820 persons 21 times. Self-rated health worsened significantly ( p < .0001) after the symptom rating, from 2.72 pre-self-rated health (95% confidence interval: 2.70-2.74) to 2.77 post-self-rated health (95% confidence interval: 2.75-2.79) and more so in persons who reported more symptoms ( b = .058, p < .05). The results support the notion that subjective health perception is influenced by attending to symptoms, especially so in persons with a high symptom burden.
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| 24. |
- Andreasson, Anna N., et al.
(författare)
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Contemplate your symptoms and re-evaluate your health
- 2015
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Ingår i: Brain, behavior, and immunity. - : Elsevier BV. - 0889-1591 .- 1090-2139. ; 49, s. e38-e39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bodily signals and how these are interpreted affect self-ratings of health. It is thus reasonable that appraisals of health are affected by imminent exposures and disease primes. We aimed to investigate whether self-ratings of health are affected by a symptom rating and if changes are substantiated in persons who report more symptoms. We used data from 813 persons who completed a questionnaire daily for 21 consecutive days. The questionnaire included a one-item self-rating of health (“pre-SRH”; 1 = excellent, 7 = very poor), a subsequent 26-item rating of physical and mental symptoms and thereafter a second (identical) self-rating of health (“post-SRH”). Paired t-tests were used to test for differences between pre-SRH and post-SRH. Mixed effect regression models were used to calculate the interaction effect of pre-SRH and symptom score on post-SRH adjusted for gender, age and if the person had been working that day (13545 observations). SRH worsened significantly (p <<.0001) after the symptom rating, from 2.72 pre-SRH (95%CI:−2.70–2.74) to 2.77 post-SRH (95%CI:2.75–2.79). There was a significant interaction between pre-SRH and symptoms on post-SRH so that persons who reported more symptoms changed their post-SRH rating to a higher degree than those who reported fewer symptoms, irrespective of their subjective health status. The results support the notion that subjective health perception is affected by focus of attention, and that the effect depends on level of symptoms.
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| 25. |
- Annell, Stefan, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Means of Sustainable Recruitment : The Importance of Selection Factors and Psychosocial Working Conditions in Predicting Work and Health Outcomes
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Research on selection factors often focuses on how to identify suitable candidates, while fewer studies have investigated the long-term effects of such selection factors once the suitable candidates have started working and faced the work situation. The overall aim of the present study was to examine the relative importance of selection factors (general intelligence, personality, and physical fitness), measured during recruitment, and psychosocial working conditions (e.g., workload, job control, and job challenge)for four different outcomes (job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, occupational retention, and health). Data came from a longitudinal study of newly hired police officers in Sweden (N = 508), including information from both the recruitment process and a three-and-a-half year follow-up. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses show that psychosocial working conditions were far more important than the selection factors in predicting the four outcomes. The strong effects of psychosocial working conditions for new officers’ work-related attitudes and health suggest that employers, to ensure sustainability, need to focus on activities facilitating the organizational and professional entrance of newcomers by providing a sound work climate.
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