BACK PAIN, DYSPHORIC VERSUS EUPHORIC MOODS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF STRESS AND EFFORT IN FEMALE HOSPITAL STAFF

A total of 547 female hospital staff participated in a study on the as sociations of perceived stress and effort with the experience of moods (dysphoric: DM euphoric: EM) and musculoskeletal back pain. Significa nt bivariate coefficients of correlation emerged between (i) stress, e fforts, dysphoric mood and (ii) back pain for the whole sample of subj ects. Moreover, there was a general trend for neck and shoulder pain t o be closely related to DM among staff in departments with high emotio nal load and to work-specific stress among staff in departments with h igh physical load, whereas bivariate relations of EM with back pain we re non-significant. However, path analyses supported a possible mediat ing role for dysphoric mood, as well as a possible moderating role for euphoric mood, upon relations between back pain and stress and effort s to cope at work. Moreover, our findings indicate that musculoskeleta l pain is associated with a more extensive list of unpleasant moods th an is previously assumed in the literature on the role of mood in musc le tension and pain. Results suggest that in order to reduce back pain in female hospital staff, attention should be directed not only to th e sources of extrinsic physical load. Especially in order to reduce ne ck and shoulder pain, interventions should also seek to create an occu pational climate that reduces the experience of dysphoric mood and inc reases the experience of euphoric mood. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.