Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/204216

Title

The effect of 90 day administration of a high dose vitamin B-complex on work stress

Author(s)

Stough, Con;  Scholey, Andrew;  Lloyd, Jenny;  Spong, Jo;  Myers, Stephen;  Downey, Luke A.

Abstract

Occupational stress is increasing in Western societies and the impact is significant at a personal, organisational and community level. The present study examined for the first time the efficacy of 3 months administration of two forms of high dose vitamin B complex on mood and psychological strain associated with chronic work stress. Sixty participants completed the 3-month, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in which personality, work demands, mood, anxiety and strain were assessed. After individual differences in personality and work demands were statistically controlled, the vitamin B complex treatment groups reported significantly lower personal strain and a reduction in confusion and depressed/dejected mood after 12 weeks. There were no treatment-related changes in other measures of mood and anxiety. The results of the study are consistent with two previous studies examining multivitamin supplementation and personal (non-work) feelings of strain and suggestive of significant decreases in the experience of workplace stress after 90day supplementation of a B multivitamin. Given the direct and indirect costs of workplace stress, these findings point to the utility of a cost-effective treatment for the mood and psychological strain effects of occupational stress. These findings may have important personal health, organisational and societal outcomes given the rising cost and incidence of workplace stress.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Centre for Human Psychopharmacology

Source

Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, Vol. 26, no. 7 (Oct 2011), pp. 470-476

Publication year

2011

FOR Code(s)

1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences;  1701 Psychology;  1702 Cognitive Sciences

Keyword(s)

Mood;  Occupational stress;  Randomised controlled trial;  Stress;  Vitamin B;  Workplace stress

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

ISSN

0885-6222

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hup.1229

Copyright

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Additional information

50 percent of the total funding for this study was provided by Blackmores Australia.

Peer reviewed