Low socioeconomic status may lead to poor mental health

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A poor economy appears to hit lower income individuals much harder that the rich when it comes to mental health, according to a study that was published in the journal World Psychiatry.

A team of researchers conducted interviews among South Korean people and found that those with low incomes were significantly more likely to have depression and attempt or think about suicide.

The study participants were followed from 1998 to 2007, during which time the global economy took a dive. Authors of the study noted that rates of suicide doubled during this time, from 13 to 26 people out of every 100,000.

They also called the disparity between mental health of the wealthy and the poor a “pro-rich inequality.”

Results of the study suggest that low pay and a negative environment may have major detrimental effects on employees. Organizations should keep this in mind, and consider offering employee wellness programs to manage stress, especially for employees on the lower end of the company pay scale. Additionally, employers should offer comprehensive employee health benefits that include care for mental health.

Stress, conflicts at work may prompt employees to call in sick

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Employees who get into conflicts with co-workers and bosses are more likely to take a sick day even if their illness is not severe enough to warrant missed work, according to a study that was published in the journal BMC Public Health.

Additionally, workers who expect a stressful day at the office are more prone to call it in when experiencing only a minor headache or cold symptoms.

Researchers interviewed 400 employees from six different sectors for the Swedish study, examining developments in the workplace in the days before people called in sick.

“We found that problems in relationships with colleagues and superiors were more frequent in the days just before sick leave than on other days. We also found that individuals with a minor ailment were more likely to report sick when they expected that the following workday would be particularly stressful,” said study author Hanna Hultin.

Authors of the study noted that about one-third of the 8 million sick days taken each year in the UK are the result of non-serious illness.

Results of the study suggest that employee wellness programs that focus on anger and conflict management as well as stress relief may be effective in reducing absenteeism.

HeartMath technologies may provide effective, non-medicinal treatment for stress

Posted on | by HeartMath

In an article on PatrickHolford.com, author, nutritional therapist and HeartMath practitioner Susannah Lawson wrote about the detrimental effects of stress and how gaining a coherent heart beat may be the solution for those under daily pressure.

Stress can be as bad for the heart as factors like smoking and out-of-control cholesterol, Lawson said. It can accelerate the aging process and promote inflammation, which has been shown to lead to a number of diseases, including cancer.

The author compiled research on the physical effects of stress and revealed that it increases risk of cardiovascular disease fivefold, doubles the chances of diabetes onset in men and may even cause dementia and breast cancer.

Additionally, a survey conducted by nutrition expert Patrick Holford suggests that the majority of people feel powerless over their stress, have frequent feelings of anxiety or tension and easily become impatient or angry.

“Stress has become so common in our society that it’s easy to forget its symptoms are our body’s way of warning us that something is out of balance,” Lawson wrote.

She said chronic stress taxes the body’s emergency coping mechanism, which is not meant to be stimulated on a daily basis. Those who are at risk of desensitizing their built-in survival tool will often feel distracted, negative, anxious, tense, irritated, overwhelmed and worried.

These emotions may cause an imbalance in heartbeat, leading it to beat erratically and irregularly.

“Just as your emotions influence the behaviour of your heart, the action of your heart communicates with your brain and the rest of your body,” she said.

HeartMath researchers have found that when individuals are in touch with their heartbeat, their thinking becomes clearer and they are better able to solve problems and complete tasks. By regularly focusing on the heartbeat and achieving the calming benefits, the body will release less of the stress hormone cortisol. Many serious diseases are linked to high levels of this hormone in the body.

There are three steps that people can take to improve their heart coherence, and they may even be done while sitting at a desk. First, one must focus on the physical location of the heart. Second, imagine even breaths emanating from and being taken in by the heart, and breathe along with that. Concentrate on these first steps for a few minutes. Now, as you take a breath, recall a positive or calming memory.

HeartMath specialists say this technique should be practiced for five minutes each day for optimal results.

Studies have shown that HeartMath technologies and techniques may help keep hormone levels in balance by lowering cortisol and stimulating DHEA, a hormone that has been shown to have anti-aging properties.

Additionally, research on individuals with diabetes, stressed employees and hospital patients suggested that HeartMath methods may have significant benefits.

HeartMath technology has been shown to help individuals gain coherence of their heartbeats. The device tracks one’s heart rhythm by measuring pulses in the earlobe, and signals to users when they have a healthy beat pattern. Also, a breathing pacer helps individuals synchronize the heart and breath.

While powerful in controlling negative thoughts, HeartMath technologies may also be useful in treating eating disorders, insomnia, chronic pain, anger issues, obsessive compulsive disorder and addictions. The methods may also be useful in alleviating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and stress in kids.

Reducing employee absenteeism

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An article on the UK website Simply Business offers some suggestions for organizations that wish to cut back on excessive employee sick days while maintaining a positive rapport with their staff.

Causes of absenteeism include legitimate illness or injury, workplace stress and employees taking sick days when they are not justified – like kids playing hooky from school.

Employers who provide anti-bacterial soaps and keep a clean workplace may help reduce the spread of viruses when sick workers show up for duty. Additionally, encouraging those employees to take a day off may help mitigate illness among an entire staff.

A workplace should be free of safety risks and provide workers with good quality, lumbar-supporting chairs to reduce back pain, which is one of the more common causes of absenteeism. Employers may want to run a risk assessment of their workplace to screen for health and safety issues.

Stress is another reason employees call in sick. To prevent this, employers may want to make sure there is a healthy work environment and that staff members are not being overworked.

Providing incentives for employees who maintain a good attendance record may also discourage unjustified sick days.

Additionally, organizations that provide employee wellness programs with tools and resources for stress management and physical health may effectively reduce absenteeism while reducing workplace stress.

Blood pressure medication may actually cause hypertension in certain individuals

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Some hypertension patients may experience further elevation in blood pressure levels when they take prescription medication for the disorder, according to research that was published in the American Journal of Hypertension.

Researchers suggest that physicians give individuals tests for blood levels of renin – an enzyme which helps regulate blood pressure – to see which medications would be most effective, and which would have detrimental effects.

“This would increase the likelihood of achieving blood pressure control and reduce the need for patients to take additional antihypertensive medications,” said lead author Michael Alderman.

In a study of 945 patients with hypertension, it was found that about eight percent had negative reactions to blood pressure drugs.

Results of this study suggest that some treatments have still not been examined closely enough to have clearly defined side effects, especially in certain subsets of individuals. The findings may point to a need for more holistic, non-medication therapies for high blood pressure.

HeartMath offers a system of stress-relieving products that work by helping people connect their body and mind. The emWave Personal Stress Reliever is a handheld device which tracks heart rate variability and helps align breathing and heart rhythms. When used in the office, it may help reduce workplace stress and improve employee performance.

Patients with depression or anxiety may exaggerate health symptoms

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University of Iowa researchers have conducted a study which suggests that individuals who suffer from mental disorders report more physical symptoms than their mentally stable counterparts.

Depressed participants had a tendency to recall an increased number of symptoms they experienced in the past, while individuals with anxiety complained of current ailments.

Additionally, sad individuals reported an average of seven symptoms when asked about their feelings over the past few weeks, while control subjects reported three. Participants who were stressed out said they experienced five physical symptoms, and the calm groups reported one or two each.

“People could say, ‘Well, you made them anxious – isn’t that going to produce a physiologic reaction, like a pounding heart or sweaty palms?’” said study author Jerry Suls. “But we observed a general increase in all current physical symptoms – fatigue, for example, which isn’t typically a consequence of feeling fearful or nervous.”

Results of the study suggest that stress and mental health may have an impact – or at least a perceived effect – on physical wellness.

Technologies that promote immediate stress relief may be effective in helping individuals feel healthier and happier.

HeartMath technology tracks your heart rate variability and helps align breathing and heart rhythms. Focusing on positive emotions and synchronizing breathing has been shown to reduce the negative effects of stress, improve sleep and build energy and resilience with just a few minutes of daily use.

Stress at work may lead to teeth grinding at night

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Employees who experience elevated levels of stress at work are more prone to have sleep bruxism, a condition in which individuals clench their jaws or grind their teeth at night, according to research that was published in the journal Head and Face Medicine.

A team of scientists monitored nearly 70 participants who slept with plates in their mouths, which meant to measure severity of teeth grinding.

While they saw no correlation with age, sex or education, the researchers said that the most intense bruxers were those who reported high levels of stress at work.

“Our data support the assumption that people with the most problematic grinding do not seem to be able to deal with stress in an adequate way,” said study co-author Maria Giraki.

Everyday tiredness may progress to serious health problems

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A researcher at the University of Alberta (UA) has warned that individuals should take fatigue seriously, as it has the potential to lead to delirium, withdrawal from society and sleep disorders.

Karin Olson, professor of nursing at UA, has studied the effects of fatigue in employees, athletes, cancer patients and individuals with mental disorders, and says that there are three stages of sleep-deprivation.

The first is simple tiredness, which may cause forgetfulness or irritability but can typically be alleviated with more sleep. The second step is fatigue, which includes hindered concentration, increased stress, a decrease in stamina and sensitivity to light.

The third phase – which should be avoided – is exhaustion. This condition leads to severe confusion, a numbness to emotions, sleep disorders and social withdrawal.

“The onset of the manifestations of fatigue, particularly if these are not normal states for you, should be taken seriously,” Olson said.

Results of the study suggest that employees who display symptoms of tiredness should act sooner than later to treat their condition and prevent further complications. Employee wellness programs that include tools and resources for healthy sleep habits may effectively reduce workplace stress and strengthen employee performance.

One-third of U.S. adults not sleeping enough

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An article on Health.com reports that an estimated 35 percent of Americans are not getting enough sleep, which may lead to unsafe roads and an unproductive workforce.

Moreover, that rate has increased from 23 percent in 1985, and authors noted that this may be due to a changing workforce and advances in technology that have people on a 24-hour cycle of communication and information.

Workers are now putting in more hours due to a competitive employment environment, and feeling the pressure to stay connected to the office at all hours. Both of these factors may lead to stress and a lack of sleep.

“We need to start seeing sleep as a central part of health. It isn’t a luxury,” said Lela McKnight-Eily, PhD, study co-author and epidemiologist and clinical psychologist with the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Heath Promotion, quoted by the news source.

Additionally, it was found that college-educated individuals tend to suffer more from sleep disturbances than their counterparts with high school diplomas. This may suggest that educated employees – who also tend to have more responsibilities – could be at a higher risk for the health problems, stress and lack of focus that plague tired individuals.

The National Institutes of Health reports that stress may also cause insomnia, suggesting a two-way correlation between anxiety and sleep loss.

Organizations that want to take care of staff members who work long hours and play integral roles in the company may want to consider employee wellness programs that focus on healthy sleep patterns and tout the benefits of a good night’s sleep.

Survey: More employers are offering incentives to participate in wellness programs

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Employee wellness programs have been shown to provide workers with invaluable information on healthy living and stress management, which can result in reduced healthcare costs. However, they can’t do much good if workers don’t use them.

In a survey, human resources firm bswift found that the number of companies offering incentives for participation in wellness programs rose from 49 percent in 2010 to 68 percent in 2011.

Additionally, companies appear to be using health biometrics as a way to measure the outcomes of wellness programs and ensure that workers are getting results from them.

“On the wellness front, we’re seeing large and small companies investing significant time and money in biometric tests and wellness incentives as strategic tools to stimulate employee engagement and control costs,” said bswift CEO Rich Gallun.The survey also found that organizations are cutting back on administrative costs stemming from employee health benefits by using technology solutions. The researchers noted that companies who implement automated benefits administration processes stand to save an estimated $19 per employee.