Health Psychology
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Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) examines various workplace factors that can impact employee health and safety, such as physical hazards, work schedules, job stress, and work-family conflict. OHP aims to understand the relationship between working conditions and employee strain, as well as implement interventions to improve well-being. Common issues addressed include accidents, infectious diseases, noise exposure, repetitive motions, toxic substances, violence, shift work, workload stress, lack of autonomy, work-family interference, and burnout. The goal is to identify stressors and institute controls, schedules, training, or policies to promote safety and reduce physical and psychological health risks.
Health Psychology
- 1. Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) Syed Md. Sajjad Kabir Lecturer, Dept. of Psychology, CUSMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 1
- 2. Occupational Health and Safety • Direct, immediate--killed or injured on the job. • An effect over time--exposure to toxic substances. • Can be indirect--job stress may increase use of alcohol. • Some are the result of the physical environment; e.g., outdoor workers can be exposed to extremes in weather or loud noises. • Others may be nonphysical conditions, such as changes in work schedules, night shift work, and heavy workloads. SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 2
- 3. Accidents and Safety Accidents are a major cause of death on and off the job. Some occupations are more dangerous than others. Organizations are interested in controlling accidents because of their costs. Both individual and organizational factors are associated with work accidents. Employee factors associated with accident rates include: alcohol and drug use on the job; exposure to stressful life incidents; personality characteristics; and job satisfaction. Organizational factors associated with accidents range from low safety climate; improper equipment design; low turnover and absence rates; management commitment to safety; and degree of safety training. Employees could be issued goggles, equipment could be redesigned, or work rules could be changed. Employees do not always cooperate by using safety equipment and following safety rules. Often the equipment is seen as inconvenient, uncomfortable, or contrary to accepted practice in the work group (i.e., it wastes time; is too much trouble; or reflects a lack of courage). SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 3
- 4. Physical Conditions Affecting Health and Safety Physical work conditions tend to have direct physical effects. Physical effects may be followed by psychological effects, especially when illness or injury is serious. •Infectious disease Professions where the employee has a lot of contact with the public. Professionals must deal with exposure to serious infectious diseases such as hepatitis or AIDS. Universal Precautions are a set of safety procedures that can reduce exposure to infection. SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 4
- 5. Loud noise Very loud noises, such as explosions, can severely damage hearing, sometimes permanently. Loud noise occurs in many jobs, especially those with heavy equipment or machinery--airports, mines, factories, etc. Many countries have set legal levels of noise to which an employee can be exposed, and laws have been passed requiring the use of hearing protection by employees who work in noisy environments. Noise is also associated with heart disease. Repetitive actions Some jobs involve making the same movements repeatedly all day-- such as typing at a computer. Most well known is carpal tunnel syndrome, a wrist injury causing pain, numbness, and weakness in the hands. Repetitive strain injuries can be reduced with two strategies: a. Proper design of tools and equipment can reduce strain on the body. b. Frequent rest breaks can reduce strain. SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 5
- 6. Toxic substances Difficult to determine if effects take years to develop and not everyone exposed is affected. Chemical plant employees, exterminators, and farmers can expect exposure. Less obvious employees may be exposed, such as office workers exposed to copy machine toner, etc. Workplace Violence Fatal assault Fatal violence is most often the result of crime, and only 15% of fatalities are committed by co-workers or former co-workers. Taxi drivers, liquor store clerks, police officers, and gas station attendants have a more significant risk of fatal assaults. Nonfatal assault Physical assault is a fairly common occupational hazard. May be assaulted by co-workers, clients, the public, or animals. Occupational hazards inherent in some jobs: e.g., those who work with psychiatric patients, police officers, or convenience store clerks. SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 6
- 7. Work Schedules Require eight hours work schedules each weekday is increasing. Interest to I/O psychology are night shifts, long work shifts, and flextime. Night shifts Organizations that run 24 hours typically have three shifts--day, evening, and night shifts. Major problem with night shifts: the typical sleep/waking cycle is disturbed, and along with it the circadian rhythms of changes in the body--such as temperature and hormone level changes. Digestive system problems are also more frequent in night shift workers. Permanent night shift workers may be able to adjust. Night work may also lead to social problems—isolation from family and friends due to the fact that their sleep/wake schedule differs from the norm.SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 7
- 9. Long shifts Some employees (truck or bus drivers) can have very long days. Some organizations now have a 4 day, 10-hour shift, or two 12 hour shifts a day. Important difficulty with long shifts is fatigue. Many employees like long shifts since they commute less and have more usable free time. Study of long shifts in Australian bus drivers showed increased sleep problems, alcohol and stimulant use, job dissatisfaction, and poor health. Flexible schedules Employees choose some or all of own hours Reduces absence Sometimes increased productivity Small increase in job satisfaction SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 9
- 10. Occupational Stress Most jobs include stressful situations-- reprimands by supervisors, insufficient time for a task, possibility of being fired or laid off, etc. Job stressor is a condition or situation at work that requires an adaptive response on the part of the employee. Job strain is an aversive reaction by an employee to a stressor. Strains are categorized into: Psychological reactions: emotional responses such as anxiety or frustration. Physical reactions: symptoms such as headaches or stomach upset, illnesses such as cancer. Behavioral reactions: responses such as substance use, smoking, or accidents. A five-step model presents how job stressors may lead to job strains. Step 1: Job stressor appears (objective condition or situation in the work environment). Step 2: Employee perceives the stressor. Step 3: To proceed to job strain, employee must appraise the stressor as aversive or threatening. Step 4: Employee experiences short term (immediate) job strain. Step 5: Employee experiences long term job strain. SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 10
- 12. Job Stressors Role ambiguity: Uncertainty about what you should do Role conflict: Incompatible demands Workload: Too much to do or too difficult Social Stressors: Stressors arising from interpersonal contact Interpersonal conflict Mistreatment Organizational politics: Self-serving behaviors and favoritism SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 12
- 13. Control Extent to which employees make decisions about work Autonomy: Control over how, when, where work is done Relates to many strains Job satisfaction Organizational commitment Health symptoms Negative emotions Absence Machine pacing: Machine determines how fast one works Leads to strains Anxiety Health Symptoms SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 13
- 14. Demand/Control Model Control buffers negative effects of stressors Low control and high demand leads to strain High control and high demand doesn’t lead to strain Widely believed but research support inconclusive Control in studies not linked to demands Other variables might buffer stress Self-efficacy High self-efficacy buffered effects of demands SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 14
- 16. Work-Family Conflict (WFC) Incompatible demands between work and family Gallup poll found 34% of Americans experience WFC Causes Work hours Inflexible work schedules Negative affectivity Effects Absence and Lateness Depression Health Symptoms Job dissatisfaction Interventions Flexible work schedules On-site child care SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 16
- 17. Burnout Distressed psychological state in response to occupational stressors Emotional exhaustion Depersonalization Reduced personal accomplishment Effects Absence Fatigue Low motivation Poor performance SMS Kabir, [email protected]; [email protected] 17