Objective: To explore the sources of occupational stress, coping styles, and the underlying mechanisms among freight-train drivers, so as to inform health-management interventions for such high-risk occupational groups. Methods: Indepth interviews were conducted with 33 freight drivers working on the railway company in northern China which was a qualitative design guided by grounded-theory. Results: Six core categories were identified: job characteristics, occupational stress, self-regulation strategies, supportive resources, job-specific competence and economic incentives. Under institutional stressors (e.g., frequent night shifts, rigid performance appraisal), freight-train drivers mainly deployed three types of strategies—emotional, behavioral, and cognitive—to cope with stress. Supportive resources and job-specific competence amplified the positive effects of these strategies, whereas economic incentives—although compensatory—might heighten stress perception when relied upon excessively. Conclusion: Occupational stress coping among freight drivers constitutes a dynamic adaptation system that driven by institutional pressure, regulated by personal strategies and buffered by both internal and external resources. The dual-edged effect of economic incentives among them reveals a complex trade-off between financial compensation and psycho-physical health in high-risk occupations.
Wang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.