Scale, importance, and relevance to companies of mental stress at work

Project No. BGAG 7600100609

Status:

completed 12/2004

Aims:

The increase in mental stress and its potentially negative influence upon health is a topic of discussion among the wider public, and increasingly also among OH&S professionals. The evidence found in the specialist literature is however not entirely clear. For this reason, the IGA initiative on health and work has conducted a study into how OH&S experts assess the subject of "mental stress". An online survey was developed, i.e. a survey accessible over the Internet, for consultation of OH&S experts (safety professionals, safety inspectors, company physicians, health promoters, and scientific experts, in particular psychologists). The in-plant OH&S experts were targeted in particular, i.e. the safety professionals, safety inspectors, and company physicians. The experts were to answer the questions in the light of their professional experience.

Activities/Methods:

The survey was conducted among safety professionals, labour inspectors, company physicians, and researchers (particularly psychologists).

Results:

The results show that the OH&S experts surveyed consider the subject of mental stress/strain to be highly relevant. Mental strain arises in particular in the areas of "work organization" and "social interaction". Positive effects of mental stress at work are however also observed. The results of the study were published in IGA report No. 5.

Last Update:

2 May 2016

Project

Financed by:
  • Hauptverband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften (HVBG)
  • BKK Bundesverband
Research institution(s):
  • BGAG - Institut Arbeit und Gesundheit der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung
  • Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (BGIA)
  • Initiative Gesundheit und Arbeit
Branche(s):

-cross sectoral-

Type of hazard:

mental stress factors, work-related health hazards

Catchwords:

physical strain/stress, psycho-social risk factors, health impairments and disorders

Description, key words:

Quality and scale of mental stress in day-to-day company operations, relationships between mental stress and employee health