Occupational health contributions to the development and promise of occupational health psychology.

Abstract

Occupational health psychology (OHP), as it is known today, is preceded by over a century of inquiry in psychology, sociology, philosophy, and other disciplines regarding the conditions of work and the welfare of workers, organizations, and society. This diverse body of research is richly detailed in reports on the history of OHP. Less represented in these reports are the formative interests of the occupational health field in OHP. In the present discussion, we begin by giving greater visibility to these interests. As we show, the expressions occupational health psychology and occupational health psychologist and a vision for training and participation of psychologists in occupational health research and practice appear in the occupational health literature four decades ago. We describe how this interest inspired initiatives in OHP by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health which, in turn, influenced the formalization of OHP as a discipline in the United States. We then document sustained interests of occupational health in OHP today and illustrate the promise of this interest for psychologists, for the discipline of OHP itself, and for the health, safety, and well-being of working people. We conclude by arguing that, to realize this promise, there is value to closer and more formal engagement of psychologists and OHP institutions with the field of occupational health.