INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND WORKER BEHAVIOR

Direct care staff working in six residential group homes for people wi th intellectual disability were asked to complete a questionnaire whic h asked for information on levels of stress (anxiety and depression), the types of demand experienced by the staff, the support they receive d and the constraints they faced at work Staff were also observed at w ork using a schedule which detailed who they interacted with, the cont ent and type of interaction, and what activities staff were involved i n. Measurement of workers' anxiety and depression levels confirmed man agement assessments of staff stress levels in the homes: two residenti al group homes were classified as 'low stress' and four as 'high stres s'. A number of differences emerged between the two groups. Staff in t he high stress homes reported greater demands and less support than th ose in the low stress homes. Higher levels of interaction were found b etween staff and residents in low stress houses, where more of the int eraction was given as assistance and positive interactions. However, a ctivities in higher-stress group homes appeared to be more community o riented, with staff spending a much greater amount of time out of the house. The importance of these results for both staff and residents is discussed, and suggestions for further work are made.