SWEDEN: SPECIAL STRESS CLINIC IS BOOKED UP FOR SIX MONTHS AS WORKERS IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY STRESSED

Record ID: 496292

  • Title: SWEDEN: SPECIAL STRESS CLINIC IS BOOKED UP FOR SIX MONTHS AS WORKERS IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY STRESSED
  • Date: 9th April 2000
  • Summary: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (RECENT - MARCH, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE INTERIOR OF STOCKHOLM BOURSE/ STOCK EXCHANGE 0.12 2. SCU MAN AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN 0.15 3. SMV MAN SITTING AT DESK AND COMPUTER EATING HIS LUNCH 0.20 4. SMV WOMAN TALKING ON TWO PHONES AT THE SAME TIME 0.25 5. CLOSE OF SIGN READING STRESS CLINIC (SWEDISH) 0.29 5. SLV MAN WALKING UP TO ENTRANCE TO STOCKHOLM STRESS CLINIC 0.36 7. WIDE OF MAN TALKING TALKING TO DOCTOR ALEX PERSKI 0.40 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOCTOR ALEX PERSKI SAYING "What happened was that when we announced that we are going to open this clinic in the first four days we had 180 calls and we had to close our telephone lines because we could not to even talk to any more people for the next six month." 0.58 9. SMV CLINIC'S ACUPUNCTURE SPECIALIST TALKING TO A PATIENT 1.02 10. SCY ACUPUNTURE SPECIALIST AT WORK 1.07 11. SCU OF PATIENT ON BED 1.10 12. SCU CANDLE 1.14 13. SCU/SMV ACUPUNTRIST TALKING TO PATIENT (2 SHOTS) 1.22 14. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) DOCTOR ALEX PERSKI SAYING "They can work without any limits, they have a job which can last twenty four hours a day. Secondly, they have a fascinating technology which is changing and they have to keep up with it. Thirdly, they have fantastic things to do, and they go into them wholeheartedly. Then they forget that they have homes, families and their bodies to take care of." 1.52 15. WIDE OF ACUPUNCTURE SPECIALIST AND HIS ASSISTANT PREPARING FOR ACUPUNCTURE SESSION/ TREATING PATIENT 1.55 16. SCU /SMV WOMAN ASSISTANT PREPARING EQUIPMENT (2 SHOTS) 2.02 17. WIDE ACUPUNTURIST WITH PATIENT / SCU ACUPUNTURIST CHECKING PULSE OF PATIENT 2.09 18. SCU MALE PATIENT 2.11 19. VARIOUS ACUPUNTURIST PLACING NEEDLES IN MAN'S CHEST (3 SHOTS) 2.21 20. SCU SOUNDBITE (English) DOCTOR ALEX PERSKI SAYING "It starts usually with small problems with sleep, small changes, in the body, small infections, problems with stomach, problems with skin. If one disregards them and does not do something about them, they can grow into much larger problems." 2.40 21. WIDE OF PATIENT BEING TREATED/ ASSISTANT ATTACHING AROMA STICKS TO PATIENT'S BACK (2 SHOTS) 2.51 22. SCU AROMA STICKS BEING HEATED 2.55 23. VARIOUS ASSISTANT PLACING AROMA STICKS ON PATIENTS BACK (5 SHOTS) 3.13 24. WIDE OF PATIENT RESTING AFTER TREATMENT 3.18 25. WIDE STAFF WORKING IN OFFICE OF SONOX.COM. 3.23 26. SCU WIKTOR SCDERSTEN, SONOX.COM CO-FOUNDER AND HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WORKING ON A LAPTOP COMPUTER (2 SHOTS) 3.31 27. WIDE OF SCDERSTEIN AT DESK 3.36 28. (SOUNDBITE)(English) WIKTOR SCDERSTEN SAYING: "Sometimes I might be on the net every hour I am awake but then for a while I just try to concentrate on doing work as efficiently as I possibly can, and then I try to do other things. I have a a hobby. It is a good thing to have something that does n't have to do anything with computers at all, that you really like doing. And when you have time you indulge in that. I like to dance tango. It so much different from everything to do with computers. It is very relaxing." 4.15 29. SMV/WIDE SONOX.COM EMPLOYEES WORKING ON COMPUTER ( 2 SHOTS) 4.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th April 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
  • Country: Sweden
  • Reuters ID: LVAATUS2XSFFRI0J6RDVZELFQIGZ
  • Story Text: Swedes are paying an unexpected price for their
    enthusiastic embracing of the information technology
    revolution - they are getting stressed.This nation of
    traditionally calm, laid-back Scandinavians is starting to
    feel the pressure of the rat race - with those involved in
    the internet and information technology affected most.A
    special clinic set up to deal with the problem is fully
    booked for six month ahead.

    No more nine to five working day and relaxing lunch
    and coffee breaks.In the new economy workers have to be
    chained to their computer screens for 18 hours a day, seven
    days a week.But they should be aware of the consequences.

    A study published in Sweden in December showed a
    significant increase in stress at work recently, with the
    information technology (IT) sector hard hit in particular.

    This type of stress has led to a surge in health problems,
    prompting Stockholm's Karolinska Institute to set up a new
    clinic last month to treat and study stress-related health
    problems.As the word about the new clinic got around its
    phone lines got jammed with the calls.

    "When we announced that we are going to open this clinic
    in the first four days we had 180 calls and we had to close
    our telephone lines.We cannot even talk to any more people
    for the next six month,'' said Aleksander Perski, professor in
    medical psychology who is heading the new clinic.

    The IT sector and the stress it brings is keenly felt in
    Sweden, which has one of the highest levels of internet usage
    internationally.An estimated 52 percent of Swedes aged 12-79
    - or 3.67 million people - surfed the Web last December.

    Swedes' romance with the Web stems from the early
    construction of high-tech infrastructures, a pool of high-tech
    companies like telecoms group Ericsson, high phone and
    cellphone penetration and use of personal computers.Many
    young Swedes have joined the successful IT companies in recent
    years.

    "They can work without any limits, they have a job which
    can last 24 hours a day.Secondly, they have a fascinating
    OBchnology, which is hanging, and they have to keep up with
    it.Thirdly, they have fantastic things to do, and they go
    into them wholeheartedly.Then they forget that they have
    homes, families and their bodies to take care of," Perski
    said.

    So far very little work has been done in Sweden - or
    elsewhere - on how to treat these health-related stress
    problems which differ from regular depression.

    The clinic at Karolinska will be the first place in a
    Swedish public hospital to treat stress.However, the doctors
    admit that very little is known about how to treat this type
    of stress.At the new clinic they will try different technique
    such as physical training or tai chi to see which one works
    better.

    In the past Sweden's long, dark winters caused physical
    stress for many of the country's 8.9 million inhabitants, with
    most sufferers prescribed drugs for depression.But drugs are
    not seen as the answer for sufferers of physical and mental
    health problems
    stemming from stress at work.

    "It starts usually with small problems with sleep, small
    changes in the body, small infections, problems with stomach,
    problems with skin.If one disregards them and does not do
    something about them, they can grow into much larger
    problems," Perski said.

    The clinic's findings, from treating about 100 patients a
    year, could help sufferers in other countries which are yet to
    match Sweden's IT developments - and stress levels.

    In Stockholm, branded "Europe's Internet capital" by
    Newsweek magazine, a lot of young IT industry workers find
    their own ways of handling stress.Wictor Sodersten, founder
    of music distribution company Sonox.com, says he can be on the
    web every hour he is awake but does not think he needs a
    medical help yet.

    "I have a hobby.It is a good thing to have something that
    does not have anything to do anything with computers at all,
    that you really like doing.And when you have time you indulge
    in that.I like to dance tango.It is so much different from
    computers.
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