Contributing Factors

There is a growing body of epidemiological evidence indicating working conditions that lead to work stress. This information has been condensed within HSE’s Management Standards for Stress.

Considering the surveys of self-reported work-related ill-health, information on selected working conditions was only collected in SWI95. This indicated significantly increased risk of self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety for those reporting higher workloads, more tight work deadlines, lack of support at work and being physically attacked or threatened at work.

Details of specialist assessed precipitating events for cases of work-related mental ill-health reported to SOSMI and OPRA are shown in tables THORP06, THORP07, THORP08 and THORP09. Apart from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which by definition is related to traumatic events there is little difference in the pattern of precipitating events for categories of work stress, anxiety or depression, and all work-related mental ill-health. In general factors intrinsic to the job such as demand, control, support, job role ambiguity, work relationships and changes at work are reported as participating factors for most of the cases of mental ill-health reported. This is consistent with epidemiological evidence linking working conditions to work stress and relates well to HSE’s six stress management standards of Demand, Control, Support, Role, Relationships and Change.