Psychosocial aspects of occupational overuse disorders

Abstract

An investigation of the psychosocial aspects of occupational overuse disorders was conducted with 146 keyboard operators in the Australian Public Service. Forty four were machine compositors, 65 were data processing operators, and 37 were either designated keyboard staff or clerical staff who used keyboard equipment. At initial assessment information was obtained on job characteristics and working conditions, social and psychological employee characteristics, and health and well-being of employees. At a six-month follow-up subjects were reassessed for health and well-being. All major statistical analyses were carried out on the cross-sectional data. Examination of the associations between symptoms of overuse disorder and other variables taken individually yielded few significant results. The majority were for measures of job characteristics and working conditions. Multiple regression analyses identified work pressure as the single significant risk factor for symptoms in the upper arms and body; duties, work pressure, and peer cohesion as significant risk factors for symptoms in the lower arms; and autonomy, pushing oneself, and work pressure as significant risk factors for symptoms in the upper limbs and body i.e. overall. A second set of multiple regression analyses indicated that the presence of overuse disorder by itself and the nonperformance of usual duties due to overuse disorder each made a significant contribution to psychological symptomatology. The implications of these findings for the management and treatment of these disorders are discussed.