When a honeybee is exposed to a stressful situation, it tends to look at life with a less-than positive attitude, according to researchers at Newcastle University.

Further examining stress and how it affects an individual’s physical and mental conditions, the team of scientists put half of a group of bees in a situation that mimicked what would occur if their hive were being attacked by a honey badger.

When compared to insects that endured no trauma, the stressed-out bees were less likely to try to drink a liquid which smelled bitter. The researchers concluded that the traumatizing event made the honeybees less optimistic.

“Bees stressed by a simulated predator attack exhibit pessimism mirroring that seen in depressed and anxious people,” said lead author Geraldine Wright.

Study authors noted that the bees’ response to stress was much like that seen in humans, dogs, cats and rodents

The GfK US Employee Engagement Benchmark 2011 Survey findings recently revealed that talented and educated employees are the most stressed and therefore may be more likely to leave a company at the end of the economic recession.

The researchers reported that employees who hold PhDs are the most engaged in their careers – at about 38 percent – but that they also feel the most pressure about job security, long hours, resources and maintaining a work-life balance.

During a recession, companies have a tendency to cut corners and do not make investments in employee wellness. Authors noted that this may lead to disengagement of talented employees, who would be likely to seek job opportunities with other organizations when the recession ends.

“Engaged employees are a companies’ most valuable asset, and addressing the pressures that more educated employees face is crucial to keeping them engaged and not seeking employment elsewhere,” said Thomas Hartley, vice president of GfK Customer Loyalty and Employee Engagement.

Employees who work in industries like construction or forestry are put into hazardous situations each day. So it likely comes as no surprise that a team of researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in West Virginia recently found that construction workers experience the highest numbers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) when compared to other industries.

Individuals who work in forestry, agriculture and fishing experienced the highest percentage of the head injury.

“While TBI is an important topic for public health researchers, there has been a lack of attention paid to the investigation of brain injuries occurring in the workplace,” commented lead investigator Hope M. Tiesman, Ph.D.

The researchers found that about 31 percent of employee TBI occurs as a result of a motor vehicle accidents, while 29 percent stem from falls and 20 percent occur from assaults and violence in the workplace.

Results of this study suggest that individuals who work in these hazardous industries may be in need of supplemental training that may help them avoid accidents. Additionally, employee wellness programs that provide tools for stress management have been shown to improve employee performance.

A new study that was conducted at the University of Southern California suggests that when important decisions need to be made under pressure in the workplace, it may be helpful to get the input of both men and women.

The study reveals that when under stress, men tend to act more impulsively while women take a cautious approach to problem-solving.

“It might be better to have more gender diversity on important decision because men and women offer differing perspectives,” said lead author Nichole Lighthall. “Being more cautious and taking the time to make a decision will often be the right choice.”

The team of scientists tested their theories on a group of participants who were asked to complete a virtual balloon-filling game, which offered cash rewards for the individual who filled the balloon fastest without making it pop.

Previously, the researchers found that men were more likely to engage in risky behavior when under stress.

A recent article in the Healthland section of Time magazine’s website reports that people who plan ahead experience less stress than those who operate off-the-cuff, according to Harvard University researcher Robert Epstein.

Moreover, he found in a study that one-quarter of a person’s happiness is dependent on how well they are able to manage stress.

“Stress kills,” said Epstein, quoted by the source. “Stress is not only daunting, it’s also an important factor responsible for the acceleration of the biological clock.”

While he found that people who keep stress levels in check by planning and organizing tend to be happier, most people are not very good at managing their anxiety.

A Gallup poll measuring stress and happiness by state supports the connection that Epstein found. The majority of the states with the lowest levels of tension also appeared on the list of the country’s happiest states, and vice versa for the most stressed states and least happy.

A study that examined the driving risks for teens found that stress and depression increased the likelihood that they would engage in risky driving tactics, according to researchers at Queensland University of Technology.

While the trial only looked at teenagers, the findings add weight to theories that mental conditions like anxiety, stress and depression lead people to make unsound decisions.

The researchers’ study involved about 760 teenage drivers and found that feelings of anxiousness or sadness were responsible for 8.5 percent of the dangerous driving that occurred.

“We already know that psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, has been linked to risky behavior in adolescents including unprotected sex, smoking and high alcohol consumption,” said lead author Bridie Scott-Parker.

Results of this study suggest that employees who have high levels of stress, which have been shown to lead to depression, may end up making bad decisions in the workplace. Employee wellness programs that include tools and resources for stress management may help to ease the minds of staff members while promoting their overall health.