Job strain as a measure of exposure to psychological strain

Abstract

Although work contributes to material wellbeing and might be beneficial to health, strain caused by qualitative or quantitative elements of an individual's work can be harmful to a person's physical or mental health. Karasek and colleagues' 1981 job-strain model 1 Karasek R Baker D Marxer F Ahlbom A Theorell T Job decision latitude, job demands and cardiovascular disease: a prospective study of Swedish men. Am J Public Health. 1981; 71: 694-705 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1072) Google Scholar was a breakthrough in the epidemiology of work-related psychosocial factors and diseases. The model suggested that high job demands plus low individual control over those demands would contribute an essential part of the psychological load that might lead to stress and, therefore, an increased risk of development of cardiovascular and mental diseases, particularly in industrial work environments. 2 Eller NH Netterstrom B Gyntelberg F et al. Work-related psychosocial factors and the development of ischemic heart disease: a systematic review. Cardiol Rev. 2009; 17: 83-97 Crossref PubMed Scopus (231) Google Scholar , 3 Netterstrom B Conrad N Bech P et al. The relation between work-related psychosocial factors and the development of depression. Epidemiol Rev. 2008; 30: 118-132 Crossref PubMed Scopus (359) Google Scholar The model was noteworthy in its ability to predict potential risks 4 de Lange AH Taris TW Kompier MA Houtman IL Bongers PM “The very best of the millennium”: longitudinal research and the demand-control-(support) model. J Occup Health Psychol. 2003; 8: 282-305 Crossref PubMed Scopus (787) Google Scholar —eg, the prevalence of antidepressant drug use and sickness absence in the Finnish working population. 5 Virtanen M Vahtera J Pentti J Honkonen T Elovainio M Kivimäki M Job strain and psychologic distress influence on sickness absence among Finnish employees. Am J Prev Med. 2007; 33: 182-187 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (98) Google Scholar , 6 Virtanen M Honkonen T Kivimäki M et al. Work stress, mental health and antidepressant medication findings from the Health 2000 Study. J Affect Disord. 2007; 98: 189-197 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (117) Google Scholar Job strain as a risk factor for coronary heart disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of individual participant dataOur findings suggest that prevention of workplace stress might decrease disease incidence; however, this strategy would have a much smaller effect than would tackling of standard risk factors, such as smoking. Full-Text PDF Open Access