Does technostress “get under the skin”? Prospective associations of work stressors, technostressors, burnout symptoms, and biomarkers of chronic stress

Kaltenegger, Helena C. ; Marques, Mathew D.; Becker, Linda; Rohleder, Nicolas; Nowak, Dennis ; Wright, Bradley J. und Weigl, Matthias (2024): Does technostress “get under the skin”? Prospective associations of work stressors, technostressors, burnout symptoms, and biomarkers of chronic stress. In: Psychoneuroendocrinology, Nr. 160, 106866

Abstract

Background : Working conditions in the age of digitalization harbour risks for chronic stress experience and development of burnout. However, real-world investigations into biological effects of technostress are sparse. This study aimed at assessing prospective associations of (digital) work stressors, burnout symptoms, and two biomarkers indicative for chronic stress. Methods : N=238 (182 females, Mage=28.5 years) hospital employees participated in a pre-registered prospective cohort study with two follow-ups six months apart (T2, T3). Participants answered standardized questionnaires on job strain (job demand-control ratio, JDCR), technostressors (work interruptions, multitasking, information overload), burnout symptoms (exhaustion, mental distance), and relevant confounders. Furthermore, they provided capillary blood samples for C- reactive protein (CRP) and hair strands for hair cortisol concentration (HCC) analysis. We performed structural equation modelling. Results : Factorial structure of survey measures was confirmed. Burnout symptoms (MT2=2.17, MT3=2.33) and HCC (MT2=4.72, MT3=9.73; pg/mg) increased significantly over time, CRP not (MT2=1.15, MT3=1.20; mg/L). Adjusted path models showed that technostress, but not JDCR, negatively predicted HCC (B=-1.55, p=.003) and positively predicted burnout (B=0.12, p=.012) over time. There were no cross-lagged effects between HCC and burnout symptoms. However, we identified significant reciprocal associations of HCC and CRP. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study on prospective effects of technostressors on employees’ endocrine and immune system. Results suggest differential effects of technostressors on psychological health and HCC. Given the key role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis function in pathogenesis, occupational interventions should specifically aim at reducing technostressors (like interruptions) rather than job strain in general.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin > Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 03064530
• Sprache: Englisch