Research of Occupational Stress Factors in Funeral Industry Workers

Abstract

"Despite the fact that the funeral industry is an important part of social and religious culture, research on professional stress in this area remains incomplete both in Russia and the CIS countries, as well as in the world. Funeral service employees, including agents, supervisors, organizers, and support staff, deal with emotional difficulties related to loss, grief, and complex interpersonal interactions with clients on a daily basis. They are often stigmatized and feel negatively evaluated by others due to the specifics of their work. These factors can contribute to the development of various stress reactions, including professional burnout, depressive states and a decrease in the overall quality of life. However, in some cases, working under conditions of high professional stress is a way to develop new coping strategies and meanings not only for employees of the funeral industry, but also for their family members. The purpose of the research is to fully identify and describe the stressful factors associated with working in funeral industry companies, describe these factors and assess their impact on the development of chronic stress and professional burnout. Research methods: 1. theoretical: theoretical analysis of literary sources, scientific publications and professional journals for employees of the funeral industry; 2. empirical: interviews with employees of the funeral industry; 3. statistical analysis of data. The study was conducted on the basis of the Novosibirsk Funeral Service Training Center and the Novosibirsk Crematorium. Inclusion criteria: work as an employee of a funeral company, age over 18 years, work experience in the funeral business from 1 year. The keywords ""professional stress"" and ""funeral business"" were used to search and analyze literary sources in open electronic libraries. The collection of literature sources was carried out using artificial intelligence. The observational study included examining the social media profiles of funeral industry workers. The results of the study allowed us to identify the following stress factors specific to work in the funeral industry:

1. Observing other people's grief and negative emotions

2. Fear of infection from the deceased

3. Facing stigmatization

4. Cyberbullying of funeral industry employees on social media

5. Lack of a supportive corporate culture

6. Mismatch of work-life balance

7. Mistreatment by customers

8. Witness trauma and PTSD in some cases

The results of the research make it possible to develop effective programs of psychoprophylaxis and group trainings for the funeral industry employees in the future."