STRESS has become one of the most prominent health problems of our times, and is now commanding prime time slots on TV.

The Stress Test, currently showing on Wednesday nights on BBC1, looks at the lifestyles of people with stressful jobs including a football manager, a chef and an actress.

All find that their health and happiness are being threatened by stress and are shown ways to try and tackle it.

A report by the Health and Safety Executive found that 20 per cent of people reported high levels of stress at work.

Teachers topped the league with 41 per cent saying they were stressed out, followed by nurses at 31 per cent and then managers at 27 per cent.

Longer hours at work and less job security are some of the reasons cited for increasing stress levels. Excessive stress can result in feelings of anger and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as head aches, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes.

Medical experts recommend coping strategies like plenty of sleep and rest, a healthy diet without cigarettes, alcohol and stimulants such as caffeine, regular exercise and de-stressing therapies like yoga.

PC Ged Doran, 46, is a collision investigator with Cumbria Police. He lives in West Cumbria with his wife and their son and daughter. PC Doran works among the aftermath of accident scenes.

“I joined Cumbria Constabulary in 1981. My background includes time as a community officer, a village policeman, a traffic officer and a spell in traffic management. I have been with the collision investigation unit since the start of this year.

“My core role is to attend the scene of fatal road collisions. I carefully investigate collision scenes, gathering detailed evidence and surveying the scene to provide an accurate plan. A detailed report is then prepared for each incident.

“It's a difficult job to do, but one that is very important for the family and friends of those involved, as well as the police and legal services.

“This is a very stressful job. The worst part is the fact that we have to deal with fatal incidents, but at the end of the investigation someone always says ‘Thank you’, simply for explaining how things happened.

“It can be very hard to switch off. Personally I find it distressing when children are involved in an incident. But in this line of work you cannot take your job home with you, no matter how difficult that may be. All of the incidents are difficult, but I have to try and put emotions to one side. I tend to do this by concentrating on gathering all of the evidence I can.

“I do talk about my job in general with my family, but we have an unwritten rule that we never talk about an individual case. My family think it is a very important part of police work and they are very supportive.

“I talk about the job with colleagues. We have a debrief after the incident as a matter of course. It helps a great deal. Cumbria Constabulary provides us all with good support from our occupational health unit. Confidential counseling is readily available for all officers. I do use the counseling.

“The force holds debrief sessions after every fatal collision or other major incident. I find these are the greatest help. All the officers who have been involved in the incident are invited to attend. I find the opportunity to talk to colleagues and listen to their perspective helps me quite a lot.

“Away from work I am a keen amateur photographer and I play guitar. I find music a great way of winding down after a really stressful day.”