Dedication Is Stressful

According to research from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), workers who are the most dedicated to their jobs may face the highest risk of work-related stress.

For the study, researchers sought to find a relationship between how workers perceived their job responsibilities and their experience with stress.

In a survey of 2,737 workers, 18 percent said that their job was "highly stressful." Managers or professionals were more likely to report high stress levels than other workers. Similarly, the odds of reporting high levels of stress were greater in those who worked long hours or those who thought their job performance would negatively impact others.

Similar studies in the past found that up to 40 percent of workers said their job was very or extremely stressful, and 25 percent of workings see their job as the main stress factor in their lives.

According to Dr. Carolyn Dewa, Senior Scientist and Head of CAMH's Work and Well-being Research and Evaluation Program, these results show that dedicated workers are experiencing high levels of stress. She continues by saying that such findings should be of concern to employers, particularly from a business perspective.

As work-related stress levels continue to grow, researchers and employers are looking for ways to reduce stress. The results of this study provide information that can aid in the search for effective workplace interventions aimed at reducing stress.

Stress can lead to a variety of physical and mental health problems, including head and back pain, trouble sleeping, heart disease, high blood pressure, forgetfulness, anxiety, and depression.

This finding appears as part of a study in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.