O significado do trabalho entre os jovens na transição de estudante universitário a profissional

The present study analyses the variability of the meaning of the work among young people on the transition from university to professional life, divided according to: university levels, knowledge area and graduation course. A hundred seventeen young people answered the questionaries structured on the components of the meaning of work. Semi-structured interviews were also made with parts of the sample about the themes related to the meaning of work on this way the information of the questionaries became complete. The answers of the interviews were studied through the analysis of the thematic contents. The results of such analysis and the answers of the questionaries were registered on the data base SPSS for Windows. The results of the statistic analysis made indicated that: (1) the centrality of work and the articulations among stronger spheres do not present variability according to level, area or course; (2) the course makes more difference values factors and descriptives factors than area and level; (3) the hierarchy of values presents variability according to area and the descriptive hierarchy presents variability according to course; (4) the level makes more difference specific attributes of the meaning of the work than area and course; (5) the standards of the meaning of work do not present variability according to level, area and course, but present variability according to type of the work market evaluation and planning the future work. In summary, the meaning of work present variability according to level, area and course of the young people, when studied in facets, except for the work centrality

Saúde mental em operadores de petróleo do Rio Grande do Norte

The importance of identifying the consequence of the hours worked on people in society has been well recognized within Organizational and Work Psychology. From this point of view, the present research had the objective of analysing the effects of work regimes on the mental health of petroleum operators of Petrobrás. The sample totaled 144 subjects, corresponding to 27% of the work population. The mental health of the participants was evaluated using the following instruments of measurement: QSG-12, Scale of self-esteem, Scale of Positive and Negative Affections and the Scale of Valuable Attributes of IMST, each representing an empirical factor used to indicate and measure the five dimensions of mental health. The subjects perceptions of their work regime and the rest of their conditions of work were evaluated using scales of descriptive attributes of IMST, by applying a semi-structured questionnaire and by use of interviews. A socio-demographic file was used to collect information related to the biographical and socio-occupational profile of the worker sample. The answers to the questionnaire were inserted into the data bank of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), for statistical analysis, and the interviews were analised based on the technique of Contents Analysis recommended by Bardin (1995). The main results revealed that one third of the worker sample were tense; however, the mental health of the majority was preserved. Cluster Analysis applied to the group of seven factors which measured the five dimensions of mental health identified four profiles of psychological well-being shared between members of the sample. It was observed that the people working in the system of Continuous Shift Alternation (TIR) and in the system of Pre-advising tended to present balanced and satisfactory profiles, while the ones which worked in the Administrative Field tended to present anxious and oscillating profiles, and thus were more affected psychologically. These were also the ones that also perceived the more negative aspects of their laborious conditions (reduced chances of self-improvement, physically stressful and financial resources below expectations with which to supply family and personal necessities. In agreement with the ecological model formulated by Warr (1987), the present study concluded that the positive and negative effects on the psychological well-being tended to occur as a consequence of the perceptions the petrol operators developed to face their work conditions