What are the potential adverse health effects of occupational stress?
Stress may be associated with the following types of reactions: • Psychological (irritability, job dissatisfaction, depression) • Behavioral (sleep problems, absenteeism) • Physical (headache, upset stomach, changes in blood pressure) An acute traumatic event could cause post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Not every traumatized person develops full-blown or even minor PTSD. Although individual factors (such as coping strategies) and social resources can modify the reaction to occupational stressors to some degree, working conditions can play a major role in placing workers at risk for developing health problems. How can stress be controlled in the workplace? As a general rule, actions to reduce job stress should give top priority to organizational changes that improve working conditions. But even the most conscientious efforts to improve working conditions are unlikely to eliminate stress completely for all workers. For this reason, a combination of organizational change and stress
