Alfredo Rodríguez-Muñoz

Role stress and personal resources in nursing: a cross-sectional study of burnout and engagement.

BACKGROUND The experience of role stress has been linked to burnout as an important job stressor, but the impact of this stressor in the context of engagement (characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) has not yet been sufficiently studied among nurses. Personal resources also appear to influence the process of burnout and engagement. OBJECTIVES This study examines the influence of role stress and personal resources (optimism, hardy personality and emotional competence) in nursing on burnout and engagement dimensions. DESIGN AND RESULTS Cross-sectional data from 508 nurses from general hospitals in Madrid (Spain) showed that both role stress and personal resources were related to burnout and engagement dimensions, although role stress was more closely related to nursing burnout, whereas personal resources were more closely related to nursing engagement. In addition, optimism as a personal resource, showed a moderator effect on exhaustion and the three dimensions of engagement. CONCLUSIONS The study provides additional support about role stress as an important predictor of burnout and engagement in nursing, even after controlling for personal resources and socio-demographic variables.

Cross-lagged relationships between workplace bullying, job satisfaction and engagement: two longitudinal studies.

Abstract Workplace bullying has been defined as a stressor that has negative consequences. However, the direction of the bullying–well-being relationship has been largely based on cross-sectional findings, which does not permit conclusions in terms of causality. The purpose of this research was to investigate the cross-lagged relationships between bullying and job-related well-being. We hypothesized that Time 1 bullying predicted Time 2 job-related well-being over time (normal causation model). In addition, we compared alternative models (baseline or stability, reversed, and reciprocal models). Our hypothesis was examined in two longitudinal studies with full two-wave panel designs in Belgian employees. In Study 1 (N=312), the time lag was six months, and in Study 2 (N=369), the time lag was two years. Results of structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses partially supported our hypothesis. Specifically, it was found that Time 1 bullying predicted Time 2 dedication in Study 1, and Time 2 job satisfaction in Study 2. There was no significant cross-lagged effect of job-related well-being on bullying at work. Overall, these findings suggest that bullying can be considered as a cause, rather than aconsequence of job-related well-being.

Insomnia and sleep quality among primary care physicians with low and high burnout levels

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess insomnia and sleep quality in primary care physicians with low and high burnout scores. METHODS A representative sample of 240 physicians was drawn from 70 medical centers in Madrid, Spain. Based on quartile splits of the overall index of the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire, 55 participants were allocated to a low-burnout group, and 58 were included in a high-burnout group. The questionnaire also included sociodemographic data, insomnia symptomatology, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. RESULTS Of the total sample, 18.8% met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria for insomnia diagnoses. More individuals with high burnout scores (21.1%) than individuals with low burnout scores (6.9%) fulfilled these criteria. Results of multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that burnout was the only variable related to insomnia diagnoses (odds ratio=7.56; 95% confidence interval=2.38-14.02). Furthermore, the results of multivariate analysis of covariance, after adjustments for sociodemographic variables, indicated that subjects from the high-burnout group scored significantly higher than subjects from the low-burnout group on the global sleep quality index and its components, indicating significantly greater disturbed sleep for the former. CONCLUSION The results of the present study provide support for a clear relationship between burnout and disturbed sleep, as shown by the high prevalence of insomnia and poor sleep quality among physicians with high levels of burnout.

The Moderating Effects of Psychological Detachment and Thoughts of Revenge in Workplace Bullying

Bullying at work has been receiving an increasing amount research attention as an important social stressor in work contexts. In contrast to existing research, which has concentrated overwhelmingly on work related predictors of bullying, to date, there is a lack of studies focusing on individual moderators of the experience of bullying. The aim of the present study is to examine the moderating role of psychological detachment and thoughts of revenge on the workplace bullying process. To minimize the effect of common method variance, we tested our hypothesis using a research design in which we collected data at two points in time separated by 1 month. A total of 523 individuals responded to both phases, with 511 usable surveys. Results revealed that psychological detachment moderated the relationship between (1) role conflict and workplace bullying and between (b) bullying and psychological strain. Thoughts of revenge moderated the relationship role conflict and bullying. These findings fit well into cognitive activation theory of stress.

The Demand–Control model and target's reports of bullying at work: A test within Spanish and Belgian blue-collar workers

The present study explores whether Karaseks Job Demand–Control (JDC) models strain hypothesis can be applied to targets reports of bullying at work in matched samples of Spanish and Belgian blue-collar workers. In the Spanish sample, results reveal a positive main effect of workload and a negative main effect of autonomy. The relationship between workload and bullying is particularly strong under the condition of low autonomy (i.e., interaction), in line with Karaseks strain hypothesis. In the Belgian sample, results show a positive main effect of workload and a significant workload–autonomy interaction effect in accordance with the strain hypothesis. In sum, high strain jobs associate with targets reports of bullying in both the Spanish and Belgian sample. Karaseks JDC model may accordingly be extended to targets reports of bullying as a form of social behavioural strain. These findings furthermore enhance research in the realm of bullying at work by introducing a well-established theoretical framework to account for the relationship between workload, autonomy, and targets reports of bullying.

Modelling job crafting behaviours: Implications for work engagement

In this study among 206 employees (103 dyads), we followed the job demands–resources approach of job crafting to investigate whether proactively changing one’s work environment influences employee’s (actor’s) own and colleague’s (partner’s) work engagement. Using social cognitive theory, we hypothesized that employees would imitate each other’s job crafting behaviours, and therefore influence each other’s work engagement. Results showed that the crafting of social and structural job resources and the crafting of challenge job demands was positively related to own work engagement, whereas decreasing hindrance job demands was unrelated to own engagement. As predicted, results showed a reciprocal relationship between dyad members’ job crafting behaviours – each of the actor’s job crafting behaviours was positively related to the partner’s job crafting behaviours. Finally, employee’s job crafting was related to colleague’s work engagement through colleague’s job crafting, suggesting a modelling process.

Learning, attention/hyperactivity, and conduct problems as sequelae of excessive daytime sleepiness in a general population study of young children.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Although excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common problem in children, with estimates of 15%; few studies have investigated the sequelae of EDS in young children. We investigated the association of EDS with objective neurocognitive measures and parent reported learning, attention/hyperactivity, and conduct problems in a large general population sample of children. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Population based. PARTICIPANTS 508 children from The Penn State Child Cohort. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Children underwent a 9-h polysomnogram, comprehensive neurocognitive testing, and parent rating scales. Children were divided into 2 groups: those with and without parent-reported EDS. Structural equation modeling was used to examine whether processing speed and working memory performance would mediate the relationship between EDS and learning, attention/hyperactivity, and conduct problems. Logistic regression models suggest that parent-reported learning, attention/hyperactivity, and conduct problems, as well as objective measurement of processing speed and working memory are significant sequelae of EDS, even when controlling for AHI and objective markers of sleep. Path analysis demonstrates that processing speed and working memory performance are strong mediators of the association of EDS with learning and attention/hyperactivity problems, while to a slightly lesser degree are mediators from EDS to conduct problems. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that in a large general population sample of young children, parent-reported EDS is associated with neurobehavioral (learning, attention/hyperactivity, conduct) problems and poorer performance in processing speed and working memory. Impairment due to EDS in daytime cognitive and behavioral functioning can have a significant impact on childrens development.

The Spanish version of the Insomnia Severity Index: A confirmatory factor analysis

OBJECTIVE To examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and to determine its factor structure with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). METHODS Self-reported information was collected from a sample of 500 adults (mean age 39.13 [standard deviation 15.85]years) drawn from a population of medical students and their social networks. Together with the ISI, a measure of the subjective severity of insomnia, subjects completed the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Profile of Mood States to study concurrent validity of the ISI. CFA was used to test alternative models to ascertain the factorial structure of the ISI. RESULTS The Spanish version of the ISI showed adequate indices of internal consistency (Cronbachs α=0.82). CFA showed that a three-factor structure provided a better fit to the data than one-factor and two-factor structures. The ISI was significantly correlated with poor sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, and discriminated between good and poor sleepers. CONCLUSIONS The ISI is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the subjective severity of insomnia in Spanish-speaking populations. Its three-factor structure (i.e., night-time sleep difficulties, sleep dissatisfaction and daytime impact of insomnia) makes it a psychometrically robust and clinically useful measure.

Sleep and Behavioral Correlates of Napping Among Young Adults: A Survey of First-Year University Students in Madrid, Spain

Objective: Between November 2002 and March 2003, the authors assessed the prevalence and correlates of napping among Spanish university students. Participants: The sample comprised 1,276 first-year university students; the mean age was 18.74 ± 1.24 years, and 35.45% were men. Methods: The study was cross-sectional, and the students completed self-report, anonymous questionnaires provided during an in-class survey. Results: Almost half (44%) of the sample reported napping (90% did so after lunch for longer than 1 hour). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that experiencing an irregular sleep-wakefulness pattern, having a morning school schedule, and being male were significant predictor variables of napping. Further significant outcome variables related to napping were having excessive daytime sleepiness, missing classes because of tiredness, better ability to concentrate later in the afternoon, and a perception of deeper nighttime sleep. Conclusions: Habitual napping is common among Spanish university students and associated with an irregular sleep-wakefulness pattern. Taking long postlunch naps seems to be used by students to cope with insufficient sleep and daytime sleepiness.

Reciprocal relations between workplace bullying, anxiety, and vigor: a two-wave longitudinal study.

Background and Objectives: Workplace bullying has been classified as an extreme social stressor in work contexts and has been repeatedly linked to several negative consequences. However, little research has examined reversed or reciprocal relations of bullying and outcomes. Design: We conducted a two-wave longitudinal study with a time lag of six months. Methods: The study sample consisted of 348 employees of the Spanish workforce. The present study examined longitudinal relationships between workplace bullying, psychological health, and well-being. On the basis of conservation of resources theory, we hypothesized that we would find reciprocal relations among study variables over time. Results: Results of cross-lagged structural equation modeling analyses supported our hypotheses. Specifically, it was found that Time 1 (T1) workplace bullying was negatively related to Time 2 (T2) vigor and positively related to T2 anxiety. Additionally, T1 anxiety and vigor had an effect on T2 workplace bullying. Conclusions: Overall, these findings support the validity of the theoretical models postulating a reciprocal bullying–outcome relationship, rather than simple one-way causal pathways approaches.