Occup. Health, Volume 1, Issue 2 (June 2026) – 2 articles

Objectives: Occupational stress, resilience and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A gene (HTR2A) polymorphisms potentially influence sleep quality. However, evidence of their effects and relationships remains ambivalent and insufficient. Therefore, this study investigated the association of occupational stress, resilience, HTR2A polymorphisms, and their interactions with sleep quality. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 809 Chinese Han subjects (47% female and 53% male; age: 33.1 ± 6.3 years) were genotyped for HTR2A rs6313 polymorphism. Occupational stress, resilience and sleep quality were measured using Work Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Results: Higher occupational stress was significantly correlated with poorer sleep quality (odds ratio (OR) = 2.020, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.736, 2.394], p = 0.00031), while higher resilience was significantly correlated with better sleep quality (OR = 0.610, 95% CI: [0.522, 0.697], p = 0.00047). Occupational stress played a mediating role in the association between resilience and sleep quality (indirect: β₁β₂ = −0.067, 95% CI: [−0.101, −0.041], p = 0.00045; direct: β₃ = −0.119, 95% CI: [−0.205, −0.032], p = 0.008). The rs6313 polymorphism moderated the association between resilience and sleep quality (β₆ = 0.786, 95% CI: [0.092, 1.422], p = 0.027), but not the indirect effect. Conclusions: Resilience is associated with better sleep quality both directly and by attenuating the negative correlation between occupational stress and sleep quality, and the rs6313 polymorphism is associated with modifying the relationship between resilience and sleep quality (but not occupational stress and sleep quality), which suggests potential distinct biological association patterns for resilience and stress. Subjects with TT and TC/CC genotypes had different sleep quality response to resilience, implying potential molecular mechanisms of resilience. Our findings provide implications for the prevention and intervention of stress-related sleep problems in occupational populations by targeting modifiable factors including occupational stress and individual resilience. Full article

Farming is recognized as one of the most stressful occupations worldwide, with farmers experiencing heightened prevalences of chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality. However, there is limited research that has qualitatively examined gendered experiences of farmers’ mental health in Canada. This study explored Canadian farmers’ perspectives on mental health through a gendered lens to address this gap in knowledge. Seventy-five farmers and agricultural community members participated in semi-structured interviews centred on stress, mental health challenges, and help-seeking, conducted between 2017 and 2018. Data were analyzed thematically using a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) approach. Three major themes were identified: identity, workload, and mental health support. Women farmers described persistent struggles to be recognized as “farmers,” highlighting how gender-assumptive language and agricultural norms undermined their identity and contributed to their mental distress. They also reported disproportionate workloads, often resulting in overwhelm, exhaustion, and diminished wellbeing. Finally, while men often positioned women as the preferred recipients of mental health education, women expressed that this expectation intensified their already heavy burden. Findings underscore that gendered roles and expectations in Canadian agriculture profoundly shape farmers’ mental health in that women’s contributions remain undervalued, and their mental health is further strained by both visible and invisible workloads and by expectations to safeguard family and community wellbeing. Full article