What is Occupational Health Psychology and what can it offer administrations and employees? Occupational Health Psychology harmonizing to M. Colman ( 2009 ) is a field ofA appliedA psychological science, at the interface ofA occupationalA psychologyA andA healthA psychological science, concerned with the application ofA psychologyA to bettering the quality of work experience and with the protection and publicity of theA wellness, safety, and wellbeing of people in work. It emerged as an independent field in the late ninetiess.
Duncan et Al. ( 2004 ) reported that at least one individual is killed and over 6,000 are injured at work every working twenty-four hours in the UK. They besides claimed that in the UK, absenteeism is bing employers ?13 billion a twelvemonth.
Modernization and competitory challenges workers face presents increased the emphasiss and unwellnesss. Therefore, the intent of occupational wellness psychological science is to advance wellness and safety for employers, employees and their households. Specific jobs in the workplace including emphasis and burnout, workplace intimidation, accidents, carpal tunnel syndrome and malignant neoplastic disease.
What can Occupational Health Psychology offer?
Occupational wellness psychological science can offer to both administrations and employees. For cases: occupational wellness and safety jurisprudence, psychosocial jeopardies and wellbeing at workplace and pull offing emphasis in administrations.
The Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) is the chief organic structure of responsible for implementing statute law and supplying counsel on wellness and safety in the workplace in the UK. The HSE screens offices, mills, edifice sites, mines and preies, fairgrounds, railroads, chemical workss, offshore and atomic installings, schools and infirmaries. ( Duncan et al. , 2004 )
Administrations are another organic structure that are responsible to supply wellness and safety in the workplace. Administrations should hold hazard appraisal helps to protect their workers and their concern, every bit good as comply with the jurisprudence. It helps them concentrate on the hazards that truly matter - the 1s with the possible to do existent injury ( HSE ) . Besides, for employees, they should do certain that they got wellness and safety under control.
Post-traumaticA stressA upset harmonizing to M. Colman ( 2009 ) isA anA anxietyA disorderA originating as a delayed and protracted response after sing or witnessing aA traumaticA event affecting existent or threatened decease or serious hurt to self or others. A research had been done by Lunt et. Al ( 2004 ) on Literature Review of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder amongst Rail Workers. Suicides under trains are the strongest factor doing rail workers to hold PTSD. In short, this research suggested few attacks illustration leting employees for natural recovery and ill leave. Besides, it is a great thought to provide a voluntary footing `` Buddy Support System '' . `` Buddies '' should be acquainted with the psychological boundaries within which they are expected to present `` psychological first assistance '' .
Stress harmonizing to M. Colman ( 2009 ) is a psychological and physical strain or tenseness generated by physical, emotional, societal, economic, or occupational fortunes, events, or experiences that are hard to pull off or digest. Whereas, burnout is anA acuteA emphasis upset or reaction characterized by exhaustion ensuing from overwork, with anxiousness, weariness, insomnia, depression, and damage in work public presentation. Stress and burnout caused from working had a great impact on employees, their households and administrations. The undermentioned parties may play a function in a emphasis direction undertaking ( Schabracq, 2001 ) : the employees, the employer, the director, the human resources, the occupational wellness co-ordinator, the occupational wellness adviser, the occupational wellness doctor, the company public assistance worker, the employees ' representative and attention systems outside of the administrations. The employees need to cognize their jobs and happen solution to work out it without conveying emphasis from work to place and frailty versa. The employers and directors in other manus should oversee the employees ' well-being and play an of import function of carry oning stress bar. Equally good as, administration should unify with audiences e.g. occupational wellness doctor from exterior of administration for their aid.
Workplace strong-arming harmonizing to Heery ( 2008 ) is any behavior that intimidates an employee, taking to feelings of humiliation, deficiency of dignity, or insufficiency. The effects of workplace intimidation are estimated to be responsible for ( between one tierce to a half ) of all stress-related unwellness ( Ellis, 2003 ) . Employees being bullied should collar the affair to their administrations. Equally good as, the administrations should be cognizant of any intimidation happen within the workplaces and put up a policy against intimidation and force.
Accidents such as stealing and stumbling are the most common cause of hurts at work, bing employers over ?300 million a twelvemonth in lost production and related costs. ( Duncan et. Al, 2004 ) . To cut down these hurts, administrations should aware of the care review. Employees should besides be provided with wellness and safety information and written instructions. Furthermore, administrations should besides supervise to do certain that the on the job country is safe.
Table IIDB02 below was taken from HSE web site:
Prescribed industrial diseases ; non - lung diseases in Great Britain by disease 1995-2008
Great Britain
Disease
Disease No
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/2000
2000/01
2001/02 ( vitamin D )
Musculoskeletal ( B )
A4 - A8
870
( 520 )
765
( 480 )
600
( 375 )
465
( 290 )
430
( 305 )
375
( 265 )
360
( 245 )
Occupational hearing loss
A10
530
n/a
415
n/a
260
( 10 )
315
( 5 )
225
-
265
-
265
-
Vibration white finger
A11
3015
( 10 )
3290
( 25 )
3035
( 15 )
3155
( 10 )
3210
( 5 )
3315
( 10 )
2425
( 10 )
Carpal tunnel syndrome
A12
265
( 60 )
295
( 50 )
400
( 55 )
480
( 70 )
475
( 55 )
600
( 80 )
795
( 80 )
Allergic Rhinitis
D4
720
( 40 )
350
( 25 )
200
( 10 )
135
( 10 )
80
( 10 )
90
( 10 )
75
( 5 )
Dermatitis
D5
330
( 80 )
335
( 90 )
270
( 70 )
220
( 55 )
210
( 55 )
205
( 55 )
170
( 45 )
Others
A
80
( 15 )
85
( 10 )
85
( 15 )
75
( 10 )
60
( 5 )
65
( 5 )
55
( 5 )
Entire
A
5810
A
5535
A
4845
A
4845
A
4690
A
4920
A
4145
A
Beginning: DWP
Great Britain
Disease
Disease No
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
Musculoskeletal ( B )
A4 - A8
390
( 235 )
345
( 200 )
370
( 230 )
245
( 145 )
215
( 125 )
255
( 130 )
Occupational hearing loss
A10
335
( 5 )
330
( 5 )
255
( 5 )
210
-
175
-
215
-
Vibration white finger
A11
1775
( 10 )
1015
( 5 )
865
-
645
-
515
( 5 )
1005
-
Carpal tunnel syndrome
A12
1030
( 95 )
820
( 90 )
675
( 65 )
520
( 55 )
435
( 45 )
530
( 65 )
Allergic Rhinitis
D4
100
( 5 )
90
( 10 )
90
( 10 )
50
( 5 )
45
( 10 )
40
( 5 )
Dermatitis
D5
200
( 50 )
170
( 35 )
165
( 50 )
145
( 35 )
115
( 35 )
105
( 20 )
Others
A
65
( 10 )
75
( 10 )
65
( 10 )
60
( 10 )
75
( 15 )
70
( 15 )
Entire
A
3895
A
2845
A
2490
A
1880
A
1575
A
2215
A
Beginning: DWP
This shows that there was tonss of industrial disease normally happened to those employees working in building sites, working with machinery or even those who were sitting at their work Stationss. This tabular array besides proves that business wellness psychological science and HSE had successfully reduced the sum of instances each twelvemonth.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nervus upset which may affect hurting, prickling, numbness and failing in parts of the manus, and can be caused by, among other things, exposure to quiver ( HSE, 2008 ) . In order to cut down this syndrome, administrations should be cognizant of the wellness and safety of their employees. In add-on, administrations should besides corroborate that the tools and machineries are good maintained.
Cancer due to work such as lung and vesica malignant neoplastic disease, Gates ( 2004 ) refers to the surveies conducted by research workers from the Environmental Epidemiology Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The research workers studied the degrees of lung or vesica malignant neoplastic disease hazard following exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAHs ) . PAHs increased the hazard among workers exposed to diesel for case. This circumstance will alarm administrations to cut down the exposure degrees and control wellness hazard of their employees.
Decision
In conformity to the researches gathered as above, there are so many advantages of Occupational Health Psychology offering both administrations and employees as to keep their wellness, wellbeing and safety at working topographic points. Occupational Health Psychology helps to cut down emphasis, psychosocial jeopardy, unwellness, accidents, hurts etc.
Harmonizing to Analysis of Compensation Claims Related to Health and Safety Issues ( System Concepts, 2003 ) , they stated that cause of accidents including faux pass, trips ( 16 % ) manual handling ( 10 % ) and exposure to resound ( 7.6 % ) taking to strive, sprains and hearing loss. The mean cost of these claims was faux pass, trips and falls ( ?4,222 ) , manual handling ( ?4,325 ) and exposure to resound ( ?1,782 ) . This analysis besides recommended few suggestions for farther research including utilizing the findings of this research to advance farther accident decrease and raising consciousness of hazard amongst employees. Administrations can besides carry on Employee Assistance Programs ( Cooper, 2003 ) . EAP is a systematic, organized and go oning proviso of guidance, advice and aid funded by the employer particularly for stress employees.
As we can see, there is been tonss of instances, hurts, accidents, psychosocial jeopardies etc. happened throughout the twelvemonth at working topographic points. Stress is the major result of action. Results show that any unwellnesss, accidents etc. will take to emphasize and burnout and frailty versa, emphasis at first phase can take to burnout, depression, unwellnesss, accidents etc. Therefore, future monitoring, supervising and cooperation from both administrations and employees are much needed. If instances can be reduced, this will lend to the success, cut down the costs of claims, increase public presentation and happier life to both parties and their households.
Mentions List
`` burnoutA n. '' A A A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009.A Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.A A University of Bedfordshire.A A 15 November 2009A A hypertext transfer protocol: //0-www.oxfordreference.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main & A ; entry=t87.e1199
Cooper, C. ( 2003 ) 'Employee Assistance Programs ' in Quick, J & A ; Tetrick, L ( explosive detection systems. ) Handbook of Occupational Health Psychology. Washington: APA, pp.289-304
Duncan, M. , et Al ( 2004 ) Health and safety At Work Necessities: Revised & amp ; Expanded. 3rdedn. London: Lawpack Publishing Limited.
Ellis, P. ( 2003 ) 'Bullying and Victimisation at Work ' 'Occupational Safety & A ; Health Journal ' , grand 2003 pp.40-42
Gates, E. ( 2004 ) 'Cancer and Work ' 'Occupational Safety & A ; Health Journal ' , May 2004 pp.18-21.
HSE ( 2003 ) Analysis of compensation claims related to wellness and safety issues. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr070.pdf ( Accessed: 15 November 2009 )
HSE ( 2008 ) Hand-Arm Vibration: Advice for Employees. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg296.pdf ( Accessed: 14 November 2009 )
HSE ( no day of the month ) Health and safety: Acquiring started. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/iacs/sbtaf/170407/gettingstarted.pdf ( Accessed: 15 November 2009 )
HSE ( no day of the month ) Table IIDB02: Prescribed industrial diseases ; non - lung diseases in England, Wales and Scotland by disease ( a ) 1995-2008. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/iidb02.htm ( Accessed: 14 November 2009 )
Lunt ( 2004 ) Literature Review of Post Traumatic StressDisorder amongst Rail Workers Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2004/hsl0416.pdf ( Accessed: 15 November 2009 )
`` occupational wellness psychologyA n. '' A A A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009.A Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.A A University of Bedfordshire.A A 13 November 2009A A hypertext transfer protocol: //0-www.oxfordreference.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main & A ; entry=t87.e9206
`` post-traumatic emphasis disorderA n. '' A A A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009.A Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.A A University of Bedfordshire.A A 15 November 2009A A hypertext transfer protocol: //0-www.oxfordreference.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main & A ; entry=t87.e6509
`` pneumoconiosisA n. '' A A A Dictionary of Nursing. Oxford University Press, 2008.A Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.A A University of Bedfordshire.A A 14 November 2009A A hypertext transfer protocol: //0-www.oxfordreference.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main & A ; entry=t62.e7112
Schabracq, M. , et Al ( 2001 ) Occupational Health Psychology: the Challenge of Workplace Stress. Leicester: BPS Books.
`` stressA n. '' A A A Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by Andrew M. Colman. Oxford University Press 2009.A Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.A A University of Bedfordshire.A A 15 November 2009A A & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //0-www.oxfordreference.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main & A ; entry=t87.e8038 & gt ;
`` workplace intimidation '' A A A Dictionary of Human Resource Management. Edmund Heery and Mike Noon. Oxford University Press, 2008.A Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.A A University of Bedfordshire.A A 15 November 2009A A hypertext transfer protocol: //0-www.oxfordreference.com.brum.beds.ac.uk/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main & A ; entry=t162.e1422
Question 2: Research indicates that work can hold a negative impact on the wellness of employees. When compared with unemployed people, nevertheless, persons who are employed are by and large healthier. Critically discuss supplying illustrations of research to back up your statement.
Introduction
Work can hold both positive and negative impact on the wellness of employees. The negative impact psychological and physical for cases emphasis, force per unit area and chronic unwellnesss. Hockey ( 2002 ) claimed that care of undertaking ends is threatened by inordinate work load and environmental conditions. Excessive work load may do emphasis and force per unit area to employees. This shows that work load may take to emphasize and therefore it cut down work quality.
Relationship between facets of work and wellness jobs
It is clear that there are legion factors in people 's occupation and their work scenes which may make both psychological ( emotional ) and physical strain ( O'Driscoll, 2002 ) . Harmonizing to Jones ( 2001 ) , largest figure of surveies has considered the relationship between these work stressors and cardiovascular disease, blood force per unit area and cold. For case agriculture emphasis ; it involved a combination of physical and mental wellness effects such as work load issues and farming patterns ( HSE ) . Farmers are besides be givening to lose a batch of energy and excessively much exposure to the sunshine. Besides, air flight cabin crew ; they are more hazardous to acquire chest and tegument malignant neoplastic disease due to ionizing radiation. Another illustration, is learning as a profession. Schamer and Jackson ( 1996 ) cited by Greenglass ( 2003 ) describes that instructors are affected by occupation burnout due to workload and emphasize, ensuing in negative attitudes towards pupils, loss of energy and instability public presentation.
Harmonizing to DWP ( 2005 ) people usually spend 35-60 % of wakeful yearss at work and 28 million working yearss lost attributed to work related illness. However, by working, it provides an chance to advance and better wellness.
Relationships between unemployment and wellness ailments
In conformity to Warr ( 1987 ) , research into unemployment and wellness has frequently been cross-sectional, comparing a group of people who are at the clip are unemployed with similar people who are in paid work. Such comparing on a regular basis shows that employed people are much healthier.
Some unemployed people will kick that they feel really useless, lost of dignity, lost of self-pride, no money to back up themselves and their households etc. Research into occupation loss and go oning unemployment significantly impairs mental wellness ( Warr, 1987 ) .
Furthermore, unemployment will increase the impact on physical wellness. Feeling useless, lost of ego regard and emphasis, these people will get down to make harmful behaviors such as intoxicant ingestion, smoke and even the worst suicide effort. No money for unemployment will do them to cut down their nutrient consumption and this cause poorness. Some instances they will get down to pretermit their kids and divorce. Peoples who are long-run unemployed or who have ne'er worked are between two to three times more likely to hold hapless wellness than those in work ( Arthritis Care, 2006 ) .
Work has benefits
Work has many benefits ; people gain money to back up themselves and others from working. Earlier authors such as F.W Taylor, believed in economic sciences need motivation- 'money is a incentive ' ( Mullins, 2007 ) . In add-on, harmonizing to DWP ( 2005 ) , people who are healthy tend to be more economically active and people who are economically active tend to be healthier. In contrast, Jahoda ( 1982 ) give an illustration of grounds from many studies that people want to work, even if it were non an economic necessity. Furthermore harmonizing to her once more, non all the unemployed live in poorness ; non all the hapless are unemployed.
The Jobless environment by Warr ( 1987 ) explained nine environmental characteristics including chance of control, chance for accomplishment usage, handiness of money, physical security, chance for interpersonal contact, valued societal place. Opportunity control shows that unemployed people have lesser opportunities to make up one's mind their ain chosen ways. Opportunity for accomplishment usage demonstrates that unemployed people are limited to demo their accomplishments and endowments and they had no opportunity to better and larn new accomplishments. Unemployment had reduced the income and handiness of money. Studies ( cited from Smith, 1980 ) showed that unemployed people systematically indicate that deficit of money is viewed as the greatest beginning of personal and household jobs ) . Physical security is good linked with handiness of money because if person had less income, it means there is less security at place for illustration. Last, chance for interpersonal contact and valued societal place will cut down if person loss his/her occupation. Unemployed individual will loss self-pride and prone to remain off from societal life.
In other manus, all of these illustrations of environmental characteristics by Warr, are opposite to employed people. Employed people had many opportunities of make up one's minding their ain ways and thoughts. They besides had opportunities to construct up ego regard, self assurance, bettering accomplishments and larn new things. Furthermore, employed people had handiness of money therefore, they had a really unafraid physical and life. Finally, they are besides had a greater societal networking and interpersonal contact with households, employers, co-workers and communities.
Decision
In conformity to the researches and authors above we can reason that that working have both negative impact on the wellness of employees. Positive impacts such as happier life, derive money, obtain self assurance and ego regard, great physical security, handiness to interpersonal contact and communicating with others. Unlike negative impacts that conveying lesser happier life, cut downing self esteem, cut downing income etc.
In footings of wellness, working people had a greater opportunity of acquiring emphasis, mental illness and working-related unwellness. However, it is different between working-related unwellness and non. It is because ; working people had emphasis due to workload and physical unwellness due to the occupation range. But in the terminal, working people gain wages after that and this leads to occupation satisfaction. Example: wage, acknowledgment, publicity and congratulations from employers. It depends on each of persons need and what they want from working. Harmonizing to Maslow 's demand hierarchy: the most of import demand for people is physiological. Physiological demand is link to pay, because by acquiring salary, we can purchase nutrient ( Mullins, 2007 ) . Furthermore, they can acquire aid from employers, companies benefits, compensations and claims, ill foliages whenever they got ill or chronic unwellnesss.
Whereas, for unemployed people, they are stress because they loss their occupation or got retrenched and unable to back up themselves and their households. They besides had limited life manner and experience awkward to be in the center of society. If they got chronic unwellness, this is a major job because they can non pay to bring around their unwellness.
In short, we can see that employed people are by and large healthier ( in footings of psychological science ) and physically than unemployed people.
Mentions list
Arthritis Care ( 2006 ) Benefits of working. Available at:
hypertext transfer protocol: //www.arthritiscare.org.uk/LivingwithArthritis/Workingwitharthritis/Benefitsofworking ( Accessed: 17 November 2009 )
DWP ( 2005 ) Health, Work and Wellbeing-Caring For Our Future. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/conferences/wellbeing/2.pdf ( Accessed: 17 November 2009 )
Hockey, R. ( 2002 ) 'Human Performance in the Working Environment ' in Warr, P ( ed. ) Psychology at Work. England: Penguin Books, pp.26-50
HSE ( no day of the month ) Farmers, Farm Workers and Work-Related Stress. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sro.hse.gov.uk/View_Article.aspx? id=92 ( Accessed: 15 November 2009 )
Jahoda, M. ( 1982 ) Employment and Unemployment. Cambridge: Imperativeness Syndicate.
Jones, F. and Bright J. , ( 2001 ) Stress: Myth, Theory and Research. England: Pearson Education.
Mullins, L. ( 2007 ) Management and Organisational Behaviours. 8th edn. England: Pearson Education.
O'Driscoll, P et. Al. ( 2002 ) 'Job-related Stress and Burnout ' in Warr, P ( ed. ) Psychology at Work. England: Penguin Books, pp.203-228
Warr, P. ( 1987 ) Work Unemployment and Mental Health. United States: Oxford University Press.
