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Unemployed Individuals Reporting Hindrance Work Stress at Previous Job Have Increased Likelihood of Insomnia Disorder

  • Special Issue: Sleep Science
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Workplace stress and unemployment are each associated with disturbances in sleep. However, a substantial gap exists in what we know about the type of workplace stress preceding job loss and the lasting effect workplace stressors may have on long-term health outcomes. We hypothesized that a specific type of workplace stress, hindrance stress, would be a stronger predictor of current insomnia disorder, compared to challenge stress.

Method

Cross-sectional data were analyzed from 191 recently unemployed individuals participating in the ongoing Assessing Daily Patterns through occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study. Participants were administered the Cavanaugh et al. (J Appl Psychol. 85(1):65, 2000) self-reported work stress scale regarding their previous job and the Duke Sleep Interview (DSI-SD), a semi-structured interview assessing ICSD-3 insomnia disorder (chronic and acute).

Results

Results from logistic regression analyses indicated that hindrance work stress was associated with an increased likelihood of current overall, chronic, and acute insomnia disorder, when controlling for challenge stress and significant demographic factors. Challenge stress was associated with an increased likelihood of chronic insomnia disorder when controlling for hindrance stress and covariates. The association between challenge stress and acute insomnia differed as a function of sex.

Conclusion

Hindrance work stressors were associated with increased odds of current insomnia disorder, even after employment ended. Across each of the tested models, hindrance stress had stronger effects on insomnia than challenge stress. These findings support and extend both the challenge-hindrance framework of work-related stress and the 3 P model of insomnia.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Arizona Department of Economic Security for their partnership in recruiting participants on the study. This study would like to acknowledge the contribution and assistance of Jesi Post, April Brookshier, Devan Gengler, Candace Mayer, and Darlynn Rojo-Wissar for their contributions coordinating study activity and collecting data.

Funding

This work is supported by the US National Institute of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI,1R01HL117995-01A1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Patricia L. Haynes & Rebecca L. Wolf

  2. Department of Occupational Therapy, A. T. Still University, Mesa, AZ, USA

    Rebecca L. Wolf

  3. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    George W. Howe

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Monica R. Kelly

  5. Sepulveda VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Monica R. Kelly

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  1. Patricia L. Haynes
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  2. Rebecca L. Wolf
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  4. Monica R. Kelly
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricia L. Haynes.

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The study was approved by the University of Arizona Human Subjects Protection Program and procedures have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Haynes, P.L., Wolf, R.L., Howe, G.W. et al. Unemployed Individuals Reporting Hindrance Work Stress at Previous Job Have Increased Likelihood of Insomnia Disorder. Int.J. Behav. Med. 28, 39–47 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-020-09874-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-020-09874-9

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