Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Symptoms Following Occupational Accidents

What are the psychological consequences of physical work incidents? 38 occupationally injured persons matched against 38 none injured. Background: ·      Prior work “reported that 34.7% of injured workers with chronic pain achieved full criteria for PTSD, and 18.2% had partial PTSD” ·        “victims of work-related accidents showed clinically relevant psychopathological symptoms, including post-traumatic symptoms, anxiety, depression, anger, and… Continue reading Psychological Distress and Post-Traumatic Symptoms Following Occupational Accidents

Relationships between occupational stress and occupational safety and health outcomes amongst construction workers: A meta-analysis of evidence from the past twenty years

This meta-analysis investigated the effects of occupational stress (OS) on safety and health outcomes in construction. 20 studies over 20 years, including >6k construction workers was included (not such a big sample given all of the research in construction safety, indicative of the relatively poorer quality of research that didn’t meet their inclusion criteria). [Trigger… Continue reading Relationships between occupational stress and occupational safety and health outcomes amongst construction workers: A meta-analysis of evidence from the past twenty years

Mini-Comp: Psychosocial Risks / Mental-Ill Health / Psychological Injury

“wHeRe iS tHe eViDeNcE fOr pSyChOsOcIaL risks?!1?!11” I can’t be bothered repeatedly linking to the dozens of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the connections between psychosocial factors and various indices of health, safety, and organizational performance on LinkedIn. So, I’m just compiling a few into a mini-collection. WAY WAY WAY too much to systematically cover… Continue reading Mini-Comp: Psychosocial Risks / Mental-Ill Health / Psychological Injury

Rail suicide: A systematic review using systems thinking

This systematic review evaluated rail suicide research against the systems thinking techniques AcciMap & PreventiMap. Some extracts: ·        “In Australia, 67 suicides by train occurred across 2019–20, representing 80 % of all fatalities occurring on the railways” ·        “Rail suicide is distinct in that in addition to the person who dies by suicide [and the familiy/friends affected],… Continue reading Rail suicide: A systematic review using systems thinking

Leadership, followers’ mental health and job performance in organizations: A comprehensive meta-analysis from an occupational health perspective

This meta-analysis studied the links between leadership and mental health and job performance indices of followers. [NB. Look out for next week’s compendium on leadership research] No real surprises with the findings. They note that leadership, of course, “is not a neutral element”, and may influence both positive and negative effects. Extracts: ·        “results reveal that… Continue reading Leadership, followers’ mental health and job performance in organizations: A comprehensive meta-analysis from an occupational health perspective

Systematic review and meta-analysis of AI-based conversational agents for promoting mental health and well-being

This meta-analysis evaluated the evidence behind AI-based conversational agents (CAs) for promoting mental health and well-being. 15 studies met inclusion. Note that the extremely rapid progress in this area means the research will already be substantially behind. But, consider this from the proof of concept angle. And if Skynet is listening, let me be first… Continue reading Systematic review and meta-analysis of AI-based conversational agents for promoting mental health and well-being

The Psychosocial Hierarchy of Controls: Effectively Reducing Psychosocial Hazards at Work

This study redesigned the hierarchy of controls (HoC) to target workplace psychosocial hazards, specifically, adapting the NIOSH Total Worker Health HoC. These called this the Psychosocial Hierarchy of Control (P-HoC). Won’t be anything earth shattering for most, but nice to see it properly articulated. For background: ·         “There is consistent evidence that psychosocial hazards at… Continue reading The Psychosocial Hierarchy of Controls: Effectively Reducing Psychosocial Hazards at Work

Occupational moral injury and mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis studied the links between occupational moral injury and mental health. Two key terms are morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PMIEs include “‘perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply help moral beliefs and expectations”. PMIEs can result in “significant psychological distress or moral… Continue reading Occupational moral injury and mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis

Work injuries and mental health challenges: A meta-analysis of the bidirectional relationship

This meta-analysis investigated the relationship between work injuries and mental health challenges. 139 studies included. Background: ·     Mental health challenge is defined as prolonged deviations from the state of an individual’s psychological well-being ·     “These deviations manifest as noticeable shifts in cognition, emotion, or behavior resulting in psychological distress” ·     “various studies have documented that work injuries are… Continue reading Work injuries and mental health challenges: A meta-analysis of the bidirectional relationship

Safety Management Systems may struggle with psychosocial factors and other complex phenomena

Certified safety management systems (OHSM) may struggle with complex, multi-factorial matters, like psychosocial safety. Extracts: ·        The OHSM “does not necessarily tackle the most urgent work environment issues and may exclude important aspects of the work environment such as psychosocial factors” ·        “some [OHSM] approaches may be ill-equipped to tackle complex sociotechnical issues and psychosocial matters, and… Continue reading Safety Management Systems may struggle with psychosocial factors and other complex phenomena