Stress

Every week in newspapers and magazines there are articles about how to cope with the high levels of modern-day stress. Research indicates that stress contributes to anxiety and depression, increased vulnerability to colds and 'flu and to heart attacks and strokes – in particular, stress in the workplace is often the focus of media attention.

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Not only can work-related stress result in negative physical and psychological effects for the individual, it can have profound consequences for employers. These include absenteeism, high staff turnover and poor performance in terms of quality and quantity of work. For these reasons companies are increasingly employing occupational psychologists to identify sources of stress in the workplace, both in terms of the work itself and the work environment. They also identify and give advice about appropriate methods of reducing stress.

Occupational psychology is the branch of psychology that deals with human beings at work. This includes the selection and recruitment of staff, the effect of working conditions on staff performance and psychological well-being, careers guidance, counselling and the study of people in different occupational settings.

You can find out more about the history of occupational psychology and study of the workplace in the following scenes:

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