Estrategia de prevención a través de la identificación de biomarcadores asociados al estrés laboral en docentes universitario

Abstract

Introduction. Stress in university teachers is considered a serious health problem today, which not only affects them personally, but also in their work field and the educational process. Objective. Design a prevention strategy based on Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) through Progressive Muscle Relaxation Techniques (PMRT) and the justification of the use of biomarkers for objective measurement. Methodology. Study with a descriptive and explanatory documentary design. The design of the strategy proposes four phases: Selection of teachers under inclusion criteria, application of the ILO-WHO questionnaire on work stress, psycho-education and measurement of cortisol in hair samples, before and after training with PMRT. Results. It is evidenced that stress produces physiological changes with an impact on several systems (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, sympathetic adreno-medullary and immunological), which justifies the use of biomarkers for its objective measurement. One of them is cortisol in hair, proposed in this study, given that it is a non-invasive sample and not sensitive to changes in the circadian rhythm, among other advantages. In adverse work situations, resilient teachers achieve a greater capacity to overcome difficulties and adapt adequately, however, most require the development of psychological skills that allow them better coping to manage stress. Conclusions. The designed strategy aims to ensure the well-being of teachers in their work environment, reducing the stress rate, from different approaches, through psychological and physiological factors, because some measurement instruments can be affected by biases, from the physiological point of view, cortisol in hair is considered a potential biomarker, which also provides a strategy for the assessment of the long of the time. The reduction of stress indices is founded and the development of Burnout Syndrome is avoided with the training of PMRT skills