Psychological distress, job dissatisfaction, and somatic symptoms in office workers in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwest

Donald W Black; Christopher F Manlick; Laurence J Fuortes; Matthew A Stein; P Subramanian; Peter S Thorne; Stephen J Reynolds

Psychological distress, job dissatisfaction, and somatic symptoms in office workers in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwest

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Psychological distress, job dissatisfaction, and somatic symptoms in office workers in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwest

Donald W Black, Christopher F Manlick, Laurence J Fuortes, Matthew A Stein, P Subramanian, Peter S Thorne and Stephen J Reynolds

Annals of clinical psychiatry, Vol.26(3), pp.171-178

08/2014

PMID: 25166479

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Abstract

Researchers examined office worker characteristics and reports of non-specific somatic symptoms in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwestern United States. We assessed office workers for demographic characteristics and somatic symptoms that occurred in the workplace. Sampling was conducted over a 1-week period in each building over 4 seasons. Our team administered the Medical Outcome Survey questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Job Content Questionnaire to individuals at each site, comparing office workers reporting no symptoms to those reporting ≥4 symptoms. Self-reported nonspecific somatic symptoms were frequent in office workers in non-problem buildings. High symptom levels were associated with younger age, female sex, psychological distress, impaired quality of life, and poor job satisfaction. The findings suggest that office workers frequently report somatic symptoms they believe are related to the workplace even in buildings considered non-problematic. People with high symptom levels perceived as related to the workplace are psychologically distressed, have impaired quality of life, and feel dissatisfied and powerless in the workplace.

Quality of Life

Temperature

Humans

Middle Aged

Neck Pain - epidemiology

Male

Job Satisfaction

Sneezing

Humidity

Stress, Psychological - epidemiology

Anxiety - epidemiology

Adult

Female

Surveys and Questionnaires

Seasons

Depression - epidemiology

Irritable Mood

Workplace

Headache - epidemiology

Fatigue - epidemiology

Smoking - epidemiology

Midwestern United States - epidemiology

Back Pain - epidemiology

Xerophthalmia - epidemiology

Air Pollution, Indoor - statistics & numerical data

Details

Title: Subtitle: Psychological distress, job dissatisfaction, and somatic symptoms in office workers in 6 non-problem buildings in the Midwest
Creators: Donald W Black - Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA. E-mail: donald-black@uiowa.edu
Christopher F Manlick
Laurence J Fuortes
Matthew A Stein
P Subramanian
Peter S Thorne
Stephen J Reynolds
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Annals of clinical psychiatry, Vol.26(3), pp.171-178
Publisher: United States
PMID: 25166479
ISSN: 1040-1237
eISSN: 1547-3325
Grant note: P30 ES005605 / NIEHS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 08/2014
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9983997468602771

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6 Times Cited - Web of Science