P-177 Common Trauma in the Workplace Is Associated With Poor Mental Health

Introduction Mental illnesses are reported to be very common after major trauma. However, even modest, persistent emotional harm and trauma can have an impact on mental health. Methods On a sequential sample of 901 employees who had routine physicals, a retrospective study was conducted. Ad hoc questions on the frequency of common trauma in the previous year (physical or verbal abuse, road accidents, injuries at home and at work, and bereavement in families) were inserted to the survey form. The Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety and depression, while the effort/reward imbalance model was used to quantify stress. Results Violence was claimed to occur 19.4% of the time, job injuries 4.4%, car accidents 6%, home injuries 9%, bereavement and family issues 25%, and driving accidents 6%. Threats, harassment, and stalking were significantly linked with occupational stress in multiple logistic regression models adjusted for age and gender; harassment, threats, driving accidents, home injuries, and bereavement were significantly associated with anxiety and depression. Discussion and conclusion When evaluating the occupational fitness of the workers during mandated health surveillance, the occupational physician should methodically gather data on mild trauma and mental health consequences. Minor, recurrent emotional injury and trauma can have an impact on mental health. For employees who experience minor trauma, companies should offer support and counselling services.