According to a report in the August 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, treatment for mental health conditions is becoming more common in the US. The article has several explanations for why this may be, including patient and medical providers having a broader understanding of the need for mental health treatment, recent significant outreach by nonprofit groups promoting mental health care, and the growing public acceptance of mental health treatments. A related outcome – antidepressants are now the most commonly prescribed class of medications in the US. Read this article…
Posted 1 year, 1 month ago at 6:52 pm. 2 comments
Money’s low, stocks are down, workers and employers on all sides of the board are struggling to make ends meet. In this recession people are counting on their jobs more than ever, yet many companies view layoffs as the quickest way to get out of the red. But by focusing on root causes of money loss, management can make long-term changes to boost the profit of operations. Shift worker absenteeism bleeds company money, and frequent worker turnover requires more basic worker training and more money hunting for replacements. Increased preventative health care and management training would cut down on illness and injury, saving money on health costs and reducing absenteeism, as well as helping workers feel more connected with the company to slow worker turnover. This article focuses on the personal pain of layoffs and alternative ways to cut costs while saving jobs. Read this article…
Posted 1 year, 7 months ago at 10:38 am. Add a comment
While people worry about the dangers of sky diving, bungee jumping, and other death-defying activities, in fact one of the most dangerous things you can do is turn that little metal key in your car every day. In the U.S., someone dies in a car accident once every 13 seconds. Since shift workers experience many of the symptoms that are the most frequent causes of car crashes- fatigue and drowsiness, nodding off from lack of sleep, drug use, and use of sleep aids- driving safety is especially important from shift workers. The perils of a commute after a long day (or especially after working nights) can be deadly.
Read this article…
Posted 1 year, 10 months ago at 10:52 am. 1 comment
Most people know that driving after drinking enough alcohol could be a death wish, but driving home after a seemingly endless shift could be equally dangerous. After 22 hours without sleep, you act the same behind the wheel as if you had a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal driving limit. It won’t get you pulled over (yet, although several states have laws pending to outlaw driving while drowsy) but falling asleep at the wheel can send you hurtling towards a tree or another vehicle with no control over your car just as easily as alcohol or drugs can. The urge to reach home and bed can sometimes overtake caution on the road. Truck drivers and night-owl teens are also greatly affected by this risk, which often goes unnoticed in our up-and-at-’em culture. Read this article…
Posted 2 years, 6 months ago at 7:34 am. 3 comments
The threat of skin cancer looms on the one hand, but the threat of bone fractures, sleep disorders, and depression awaits on the other. What is a shift worker to do? Too much sun causes danger, but many shift workers- shuttling back and forth to work all day, toiling under the gleam of florescent lights, sleeping all afternoon- don’t get enough sunshine in their lives. Vitamin D helps the body use calcium to grow strong bones, as well as preventing rickets and aiding the immune system. While a few foods such as milk and eggs contain Vitamin D, the body mainly produces the vitamin in response to sun exposure, and so the vitamin languishes in dark, night work and shift work environments. It is important for shift workers to understand the workings of Vitamin D and how to get the right amount safely, since these days it’s the rare work schedule that supports a relaxing daily sunbathe. Read this article…
Posted 2 years, 9 months ago at 3:05 pm. 2 comments
