Vulnerability, perception, and experiences of stress in shift workers

Objective: This study aimed to explore stress vulnerability, perceived stress, and stressful experiences of shift workers (SWs) and non-shift workers (NSWs) and their association with sleep, mood, and workplace environments. Methods: An online self-reported survey was conducted which included 4561 SWs and 2093 NSWs. Participants completed the Stress Vulnerability Scale (SVS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Global Assessment of Recent Stress (GARS) scale, short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS). Results: SWs demonstrated higher SVS, PSS, and GARS scores than NSWs after adjusting for age, gender, income, education, working hours, and occupations. SWs and NSWs showed no significant differences in SVS and PSS after additionally adjusting for PSQI or KOSS. SVS demonstrated no between-group differences when CES-D was additionally adjusted, but a significant difference remained in PSS. Between-group differences in GARS remained significant after additionally adjusting for PSQI, KOSS, or CES-D. The association between PSQI and GARS and between KOSS and PSS was stronger in SWs than in NSWs. Conclusions: SWs demonstrated greater vulnerability to stress, higher perceived stress levels, and more frequent stressful experiences compared to NSWs. Increased stress vulnerability and perceived stress in SWs were associated with sleep and workplace environments. SWs showed a more prominent association between sleep and stressful experiences and between workplace environments and perceived stress than NSWs.