The Science of Occupational Health: Stress, Psychobiology, and the New World of Work / Edition 1

by Ulf Lundberg, Cary Cooper, Michael Marmot

Overview

The Science of Occupational Health is an evidence-based resource for all members of the health care team working with those affected by work-based stress - whether individuals suffering physical or psychological symptoms, or organizations trying to provide optimum conditions for healthy and productive employees.

The authors offer a unique psychobiological perspective, discussing the modern workplace as a cause of stimulation and well-being, as well as of distress and illness. They provide a rigorous but highly accessible scientific account of the effects that stress has on mind and body, with key chapters on 'Responses to Stress', 'Stress-Related Health Problems', and 'Stress Hormones at Work'.

This book offers the reader practical guidance on health promotion and preventive strategies at both individual and organizational levels. It concludes with a discussion of present occupational conditions around the world, and predictions of likely trends in the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405199148
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	12/13/2010
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Ulf Lundberg is Professor of Biological Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, and at the Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), affiliated with Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute. He has published extensively on work, stress, and health.

Cary L. Cooper, CBE is Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University. He is the author of over 100 books (on occupational stress, women at work, and industrial and organizational psychology), was lead scientist on the UK government's Foresight programme on Mental Capital and Wellbeing, and is a frequent contributor to national newspapers, TV, and radio.

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Table of Contents

Preface ix

Foreword Sir Michael Marmot xi

Acknowledgements xiii

1 Introduction: History of Work and Health 1

General background and aim 1

Work and health from an evolutionary perspective 4

About this book 10

2 The New Workplace in a Rapidly Changing World 11

Global economy and global competition 11

Flexible organisations - flexible workers 13

Health consequences of 'sickness presenteeism' 15

Rationalisation 16

Sources of stress at work 17

3 The New World of Work 22

Lean manufacturing and just-in-time production 22

Frequent restructuring 24

Lifelong learning, work and family-life balance 25

Long working hours and overtime 27

The role of modern communication technology and telecommuting: work without boundaries, or endless work 29

Diffuse distinction between work and other parts of life 32

The challenge for health and well-being in organisations in the future 33

A flexible workforce 34

4 Work as a Source of Stimulation and Health or a Cause of Distress and Illness 41

Work-related stress models 41

Justice 45

Positive and negative work 45

Job satisfaction 47

Workaholism 48

Type A behaviour 49

Job strain and heart disorder 50

Conclusion 52

5 Responses to Stress 53

Mind-body interaction 53

The neuroendocrine stress systems 55

The cardiovascular system 57

Coping with stress 58

Acute stress 60

Chronic stress 66

Short-term versus long-term stress 68

Importance of sleep 68

Allostatic load 69

Catabolic and anabolic processes 73

6 Stress-related Health Problems 75

Chronic fatigue, depression, burnout 76

Cardiovascular disorders 78

Immune function 79

Cognitive function 81

Obesity, diabetes - the metabolic syndrome 82

Musculoskeletal disorders 84

Ulcers 89

HIV, AIDS and cancer 89

When should I be worried? 90

How can any treatment be efficient? 91

7 Stress Hormones at Work 92

8 Socioeconomic Status and Health 96

9 Health Promotion 102

Health intervention, stress reduction 102

Managing stress in a changing workforce 103

Individual interventions 104

Healthy work 106

Mental capital and well-being 109

Interventions and policies 111

Physically risky jobs 112

Positive psychology 112

Restorative environments and recreation 115

Sleep 117

Physical activity 118

10 Gender Differences 120

Symptoms, health and life expectancy 120

Work tasks 122

Unpaid work and total workload 126

Children, women and stress 128

11 Preventive Strategies 129

Occupational hazards 129

Health promotion 129

Occupational conditions in Europe 130

Healthy work 130

SES and health 131

Work-life balance 132

What can we do to reduce stress? 133

Comments on preventive strategies 134

12 The Future Workplace from a Stress-Health Perspective 135

A changing world 135

Work and health 136

Stress, well-being and productivity 138

Demographic changes in Europe and Japan 140

Global issues 141

References 145

Index 163

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This book offers me additional avenues of study, and I can envision integrating parts of these authors' work into my coaching practice." (Doody's, 4 November 2011)

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Howard A Fox, MA (Fielding Graduate University)
Description: The authors of this book are advocates for workplace conditions that are not only good for society, but also enhance human capabilities and the health of the workforce. They provide insights into the effects, both positive and negative, that workplace conditions have on workers, using what they call a psychobiological perspective to explain the impact of these conditions.
Purpose: The development of the personal computer 30 years ago, the emergence of the Internet nearly 20 years ago, and the advances in electronics have all had a direct influence on our working conditions as well as other parts of our lives. Now, information spreads immediately, which can have economic, occupational, political, technical, and social consequences. While these advances have come with improvements to our economies and health, they also come with new health risks — not physical occupational hazards, but rather mental and musculoskeletal disorders. The authors advocate that more healthy work conditions can be created, which will result in improved economic and public health benefits. The authors do a good job of helping readers understand how the body responds to changing workforce conditions and of providing recommendations for changes that can be implemented.
Audience: This book would be of value to students, individuals interested in occupational health and safety, members of the helping professions wanting to explain the physical effects of workplace stress, and researchers and policymakers who need a stepping stone to more detailed research.
Features: The authors describe how the workforce in Western culture has moved from a predominantly male-dominated, manufacturing workforce to a workforce composed of both genders, which is more distributed, multicultural, and information-driven. The authors describe the effects that this new world of work has on the structure of the work environment and our work-life balance, and how 24 x 7 connectivity means we can never truly disconnect from work. The authors introduce a work-related stress model to discuss how we react to changing workplace conditions. They go into a sufficient detail to describe how the brain and body interact to respond to stressful conditions. After the authors introduce the physical manifestations of stress and stress-related health problems, they suggest possible preventions and interventions that companies and individuals can use to promote workplace health.
Assessment: This is the first book of this type that I have seen, although I am familiar with topics related to managing stress, work-life balance, and emotional self-awareness. I appreciate the connection that the authors make between changing work environments and how the body responds to physical and mental stressors in order to protect itself. This book offers me additional avenues of study, and I can envision integrating parts of these authors' work into my coaching practice.

Doody's Review Service

"This book offers me additional avenues of study, and I canenvision integrating parts of these authors' work into my coachingpractice." (Doody's, 4 November 2011)

 

From the Publisher