The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) has developed a novel tool to identify work-related stress in individuals. The Tool to Assess and classify Work Stress-16 (TAWS-16) integrates three important aspects — work-stressors, coping mechanisms, and symptoms suggestive of stress — which makes it a novel one amidst other similar tools. TAWS-16 was developed by a research team led by Dr Gautham Melur Sukumar of the Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, NIMHANS along with support from Dr Gururaj Gopalakrishna, former director of NIMHANS.
According to Census 2011, nearly 40% of the Indian population have identified themselves as workers, with around 9% of them being in organised sectors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that the economic loss in India due to mental health conditions will be USD 1.03 trillion between 2012-2030. An employee survey conducted by a startup Hush in 2019 states, “One out of every five employees in the Indian corporate world is a victim of workplace depression.”
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), work stress is defined as any “harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.” While a certain level of stress or challenge motivates individuals to work towards their goal, work-stress impacts their potential in the workspace, leading to decrease in productivity and quality of work. Further, work-stress is also a known risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCD).
TAWS-16 involves two sets of 16 questions each. Based on their response, individuals are categorised into three colour-coded risk categories (red, yellow, and green) that will aid the workplace in helping their employees. “It consists of two sections, A and B, with 16 questions each, hence the name TAWS-16,” Gautham who conceptualised and made the tool, told TNM. He also added that the tool was easy and quick to administer. It was developed in the year 2015-2016 and was piloted in several workplaces and also subjected to validity and reliability assessment in 2019-2020, after which it has been made public. “The tool is not the first one, but a novel one that is meant to identify, classify, and measure work-stress,” said Gautham.
Pointing out that work-stress assessment is not part of regular medical check-ups, Gautham stressed on the importance of doing so, given that work forms a significant part of life. “Work stress is also an important risk factor for NCDs and mental health problems. This test can be taken in the time that we wait during regular health check-ups.”
According to Gautham, the several tools that are already available on the public domain measure stress by taking into account various other factors not related to work. He said that they are too lengthy to administer periodically and do not take into account the coping abilities of employees or the manifestation of physical symptoms. Gautham also added that the tools are not validated for Indian workplace settings.
> This tool addresses problems specific to the Indian workforce.
> Common work-stressors faced by Indians are identified and listed.
> It is a tool to specifically assess work-related stress in a given workplace.
> It takes into account all the factors related to work-stress—exposure to stressors (any event or condition that triggers stress), frequency of exposure, ability to cope, work-stress level and symptoms.
> The tool is simple and easy to administer, and takes only between 6-12 minutes.
> It can be taken manually or through a web-based application, which has already been piloted in many workplaces.
> The results are provided immediately.
> The tool categorises those affected with stress, which helps targeted intervention.
“An organisation or individual wishing to use TAWS-16 can contact 080-26995868 and obtain permission from NIMHANS,” Gautham said. He further cautioned, “It is up to the organisation to keep the participants anonymous or not, but either way, informed consent must be obtained. It can be used as a self-administered tool also.”