Data for the figures came from epidemiologic surveillance programs in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), our State-based surveillance partners under the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR) program, and NIOSH.

CDC provided case data reported from State and local health authorities and from collaborating health care institutions on occupational hepatitis B, occupational human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), percutaneous injuries, and occupational tuberculosis (TB).

BLS provided data from their Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). CFOI provides the most complete count of fatal occupational injuries available. BLS uses diverse State and Federal data sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal occupational injuries. SOII measures the number, demographic, and case characteristics of new occupational illness cases that are recognized, diagnosed, and reported.

NIOSH supports State-based occupational injury surveillance activities through the SENSOR program to develop model surveillance and related outreach activities for preventing occupational illness and injury. Our State-based partners contributed data on carpal tunnel syndrome, adult lead poisoning, hearing loss, pesticide poisoning, occupational asthma, and silicosis. Case data from these programs provided a unique perspective from our State-based partners.

NIOSH contributions included analyses from the many CDC data sources, the BLS CFOI and SOII data sources, surveys of hospital emergency departments, and fatal injuries and disease mortality from State and national vital statistics programs.

Anxiety, Stress, and Neurotic Disorders

Anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders are associated with acute and chronic post-traumatic anxiety, reaction to stress, panic disorders, and other neurotic disorders not elsewhere classified. These disorders are more severe than the average injury or illness. Affected workers experience a much greater work loss than those with all nonfatal injuries or illnesses—25 days away from work compared with 6 in 2001 (Figure 2–6).

BLS reported 5,659 anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in 2001 (Figure 2–1). Rates declined 25% between 1992 and 2001, from 0.8 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 0.6 in 2001 (Figure 2–2). In 2001, most cases involved workers who were aged 25–54 (78.3%) (Figure 2–3), female (Figure 2–4), and white, non-Hispanic (64.8%) (Figure 2–5). Two occupational groups accounted for more than 63% of all anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases in 2001: technical, sales, and administrative support (39.9% or 2,250 cases) and managerial and professional specialty occupations (23.6% or 1,331 cases) (Figure 2–7). Incidence rates for anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders exceeding the private-sector rate were reported in 2001 for finance, insurance, and real estate (1.1 per 10,000 full-time workers), transportation and public utilities (1.1), and services (0.7) (Figure 2–8). Finance, insurance, and real estate had consistently higher incidence rates than other industry sectors during 1992–2001 and experienced a 42.1% reduction over this period (Figure 2–9).

Magnitude and Trend

How did the number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders change during 1992–2001?

Figure 2-1 Number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. During 1992-2001, the annual number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work ranged from a high of 7,603 cases in 1993 to a low of 4,409 in 1998. Numbers declined 8.6% between 1992 and 2001-from 6,189 to 5,659 cases. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].)

How did the rates of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders change during 1992–2001?

Figure 2-2 Annual rates of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual rate of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work declined 25% between 1992 and 2001-from 0.8 to 0.6 per 10,000 full-time workers. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].)

Age

How did anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders differ by age of worker in 2001?

Figure 2-3 Distribution and number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry by age, 2001. Age data are available for 5,589 of the 5,659 BLS-estimated anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in 2001. Younger age groups accounted for the majority of cases. Workers aged 25-34 accounted for 1,426 or 25.5% of cases, and workers aged 35-44 accounted for 1,576 or 28.2% of cases. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003a].)

Sex

How did anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders differ by sex of worker during 1992–2001?

Figure 2-4 Distribution of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry by sex, 1992-2001. Female workers accounted for the majority of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases during 1992-2001-from a low of 58.4% in 1992 to a high of 71.2% in 1995. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003a].)

Race/Ethnicity

How did anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders differ by race/ethnicity in 2001?

Figure 2-5 Distribution and number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry by race/ethnicity, 2001. Race/ethnicity data are available for 3,930 of the 5,659 BLS-estimated anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in 2001. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for the majority of cases (64.8%). Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic workers accounted for 9.6% and 20.7% of the cases, respectively. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003a].)

Severity

How did anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases when measured by days away from work in 2001?

Figure 2-6 Distribution of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by days away from work, 2001. Compared with all nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2001, anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases tended to involve higher percentages of long-term work loss (11-20, 21-30, and 31 or more days away from work). In 2001, 42.1% of these cases involved 31 or more days away from work. The median number of days away from work was 25 for anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders-substantially greater than the median of 6 for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Sources: BLS [2003a]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003a].)

Occupation

How were anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders distributed by occupation in 2001?

Figure 2-7 Distribution and number of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work in private industry by occupation, 2001. Technical, sales, and administrative support along with managerial and professional specialty occupations constituted 63.5% of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003a].)

Industry

How did rates of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders differ by private industry sector in 2001?

Figure 2-8 Incidence rate of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases by private industry sector, 2001. For anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders, private industry reported an overall incidence rate of 0.6 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2001. Higher rates were reported for transportation and public utilities (1.1), finance, insurance, and real estate (1.1), and services (0.7) (Note: A dash in parentheses indicates that no data were reported or that data do not meet BLS publication criteria). (Source: BLS [2003a].)

How did the rates of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorders change by private industry sector during 1992–2001?

Figure 2-9 Annual rates of anxiety, stress, and neurotic disorder cases involving days away from work by private industry sector, 1992-2001. The annual rate for these disorders declined 25% in the private sector during 1992-2001, and rates declined for each industry sector except retail trade. Finance, insurance, and real estate had consistently higher rates than other industry sectors during the 10-year period and experienced a 42.1% rate reduction. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].)

Chapter 1 - Characteristics of U.S. Workers - References

Bloodborne Infections and Percutaneous Exposures