Final answer:
Work-related stress has risen due to factors like long working hours, job insecurity, and the pressure to balance work with family life, causing a decline in job satisfaction. Job strain, resulting from high demands and low control, contributes to this stress, affecting both mental health and job performance. Stress is prevalent across various demographics and occupations, with national surveys showing increases in stress levels over recent years.
Step-by-step explanation:
Increases in work-related stress have been attributed to various factors including extended work hours, job insecurity, stagnating wages against the cost of living, and the balancing act of work and parenting. A significant impact of this rise in stress is a decrease in job satisfaction. According to Gyllensten & Palmer (2005), stress is the individual's perception and response to events that are seen as excessive pressure that threatens well-being. Stress can stem from numerous stressors such as the demands of multitasking, workplace role ambiguity, lack of career progress, and more. Women and men experience these stressors differently, which is an important area for research.
The concept of job strain arises from an environment that combines high demands with little control over the job, as per Karasek & Theorell (1990). Job strain is not confined to any single profession but is common in roles with heavy workloads and low autonomy, affecting people of various statuses, such as factory workers and supermarket cashiers. Job strain can also lead to job burnout, particularly linked with feelings of underappreciation and lack of reward for the effort invested.
Factors like job insecurity due to downsizing and mergers play a substantial role in employee stress. Moreover, national surveys, such as those conducted by Cohen & Janicki-Deverts (2012), show demographic variations in stress levels, with rises particularly noted during economic downturns. Additionally, occupational stressors vary with some jobs inherently being more stressful than others, as mentioned by Sulsky & Smith (2005).
Finally, the chronic stress experienced in the workplace often extends beyond it, leading to compromised well-being and reduced job satisfaction when the perceived risk is higher. Notably, Neelakantan (2013) found that a significant portion of U.S. adults reported their stress levels had increased over the last five years, underscoring the issue's growing prevalence.