Heart rate variability biofeedback coaching in reducing workplace stress: laboratory and field investigations. Targeted and informed intervention in workplace stress is a vital concept in stress management, yet it is often misinformed. Using mobile heart rate monitors we are able to measure the causes and consequences of stress in a controlled and natural environment and design specific biofeedback interventions to attack primary sources of employee strain.
A multi-level approach to the management of demands and resources to minimise the risk of psychosocial injury in the workplace. This project aims to identify ways supervisors can effectively manage workplace stress experienced by team members. Expected outcomes include better management of workplace stress and reduction in the number of employees suffering from the stress-induced ill-health, thereby reducing workers' compensation claims for stress and lowering costs.
Supervisor strategies for managing employee stress and strain: a national approach to psychosocial risk management. This research aims to identify supervisor strategies for managing occupational stress in their work teams. Expected outcomes include reduction in the number of employees reporting that they are exposed to stress and suffering from the effects of ill-health, thereby reducing workers' compensation claims for stress and lowering associated costs.
Sleeping with one ear open: the impact on sleep and waking function. The aim of the project is to assess the impact 'on-call' work has on sleep, stress, and next day performance. Two million Australians are on-call providing essential 24-hour services including emergency response. While sleep during on-call periods is disrupted when a call occurs, some research suggests that sleeping with one ear open waiting for a call may disrupt sleep even if no call occurs. If on-call sleep is less restorati ....Sleeping with one ear open: the impact on sleep and waking function. The aim of the project is to assess the impact 'on-call' work has on sleep, stress, and next day performance. Two million Australians are on-call providing essential 24-hour services including emergency response. While sleep during on-call periods is disrupted when a call occurs, some research suggests that sleeping with one ear open waiting for a call may disrupt sleep even if no call occurs. If on-call sleep is less restorative, then individuals are at risk of performance impairment and adverse health outcomes. This project aims to answer questions about the magnitude of sleep disruption when on-call, the mechanisms for any disruption, and impact on waking function.Read moreRead less
Should we go halves? The impact of split work-rest schedules on sleep and cognitive performance. The purpose of this project is to determine whether it is better to have one long sleep or two shorter sleeps each day. The results of the project will inform the development of work schedules for industries and/or situations where it may be appropriate to work more than one shift per day (such as fly-in fly-out, emergency response).
I sleep, therefore I can: Using sleep strategically to cope with night work. The aim of the project is to identify sleep strategies that shiftworkers can use to minimise cognitive impairment during night shifts. More than one million Australians regularly work at night. In the second half of night shifts, the combination of sleep loss, extended wake, and time of day causes a level of cognitive impairment similar to that associated with a blood alcohol concentration of .05 per cent. The project a ....I sleep, therefore I can: Using sleep strategically to cope with night work. The aim of the project is to identify sleep strategies that shiftworkers can use to minimise cognitive impairment during night shifts. More than one million Australians regularly work at night. In the second half of night shifts, the combination of sleep loss, extended wake, and time of day causes a level of cognitive impairment similar to that associated with a blood alcohol concentration of .05 per cent. The project aims to investigate whether the timing of daytime sleep episodes between consecutive night shifts can be manipulated to increase the duration of sleep and/or reduce the length of wake prior to work. The strategies could then be translated into policy and practice to reduce the economic and social costs associated with night work.Read moreRead less