Table 1

Summary of observational studies of associations between work factors and ill health: health care workers in UK

Study	Design	Participants	Response rate	Work factors	Outcomes	Results
Agius et al, 1996⁷	Cross sectional	375 consultant doctors	75%	Work demands	Emotional exhaustion (MBI)	High academic work demands associated with low emotional exhaustion (r=−0.14, p<0.05)
Baglioni et al, 1990⁸	Cross sectional	475 senior nurses	80%	Workload	Mental health (CCEI)	No association
Baldwin et al, 1997⁹	Longitudinal	142 junior doctors	95%	Long hours	Psychological distress (GHQ-28)	No association overall; association with somatic symptoms, r=0.24
Cooper et al, 1988¹⁰	Cross sectional	484 dentists	85%	Time pressures, pay stressors and technical problems	Mental health (CCEI)	Time pressures, pay stressors and technical problems associated with poor mental health (respective Bs=0.24, 0.20, 0.12; F=20.54, p<0.001)
Deary et al, 1996¹¹	Cross sectional	333 consultant doctors	67%	Clinical workload	Psychological distress (GHQ-28), emotional exhaustion (MBI)	High clinical workload associated with emotional exhaustion (χ² for model=30.31, p=0.11, satisfactory fit)
Heyworth et al, 1993¹²	Cross sectional	201 trainee and consultant doctors	72%	Task clarity, supportive communication	Depression (CES-D)	Task clarity and supportive communication associated with lower depression (r=−0.51 and −0.36 respectively, p=0.0001)
Parkes, 1982¹³	Experimental	164 student nurses	97%	Job demand, discretion, social support	Anxiety (GHQ), depression (CCEI), sickness absence	Anxiety and depression associated with low job discretion and job support (r=−0.30 and −0.35 for anxiety and −0.26 and −0.36 for depression) and job demand was negatively associated with sickness absence (r=−0.24)
Quine, 1999¹⁴	Cross sectional	1100 health care workers	70%	Bullying	Anxiety, depression (HADS)	Bullying associated with higher anxiety (30% v 9%, p<0.001) and depression (8% v 1%, p<0.001)
Rees and Cooper, 1992¹⁵	Cross sectional	1176 health care workers	67%	Control over work (OSI)	Sickness absence	No association
Sutherland and Cooper, 1993¹⁶	Cross sectional	917 family doctors	61%	Job demands	Anxiety, depression and somatic anxiety (CCEI)	Associations with anxiety (beta=0.17) depression (beta=0.28) and somatic anxiety (beta=0.23)
Tyler and Cushway, 1992¹⁷	Cross sectional	72 nurses	60%	Workload, conflict, social support	Psychological distress (GHQ 28)	GHQ predicted by managing the workload (beta=0.32)