GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Jun 24, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A good relationship can
act as a buffer for those exposed to work-related stress that can hurt health, a
researcher in Sweden said.
However, poor relationships will amplify the negative effects of work-related
stress, said Ann-Christine Andersson Arnten, a doctoral student at the
University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
When there are stressful experiences both at work and in a relationship, the
risk of burn-out and poor health increases dramatically, the researcher said.
The study involved some 900 people who participated in a survey.
Those who felt they had a good relationship reported they enjoyed better health
than those who had a more problematic relationship, the study found.
The dissertation said that women with a poorly-functioning relationship
experienced more anxiety, mental stress reactions and sleeping difficulties than
women who had a good relationship.
Men who had a mediocre relationship had a higher incidence of depression,
anxiety, psychological and somatic stress reactions than men with worse or
better relationships, the study said.
After having been exposed to stress, the body must recover and recharge itself,
but if there is no opportunity to recover because the work doesn't allow for
breaks and lunches, the body's reserves are emptied, and poor health ensues, the
researcher said.
The same principle applies when a person takes work home, frequently works
overtime or has recurring quarrels and problems in his or her relationship,
Arnten said.
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