Researchers studying industrial medicine have identified two types of common job stressors; high psychosocial work demands and low job control are the two sources.
With respect to these two job stressors, research has suggested that they are associated with an increased risk of depression. This assessment is not, however, without controversy. There are some researchers who have found the connections with high work demands as being significant while others have found the other major stressor, low job control, to be significant. Seidler A, Schubert M, Freiberg A, Drössler S, Hussenoeder FS, Conrad I, Riedel-Heller S, Starke KR. Psychosocial Occupational Exposures and Mental Illness. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2022 Oct 21;119(42):709-715. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0295. PMID: 36345690; PMCID: PMC9835701.
In a recent article, the meta-analysis found that there was an “association between high strain and depression reached the level of a doubling of the risk.” Seidler A, Schubert M, Freiberg A, Drössler S, Hussenoeder FS, Conrad I, Riedel-Heller S, Starke KR. Psychosocial Occupational Exposures and Mental Illness. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2022 Oct 21;119(42):709-715. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0295. PMID: 36345690; PMCID: PMC9835701.The article’s conclusions also found that “[t]here is some evidence that prolonged exposure also increases the risk of mental illness.” Supra.
The authors, in their results section, indicated, that “[t]he pooled risk of depression was found to be approximately doubled in workers exposed to high job strain, which is defined as high work demands combined with low job control.” Seidler A, Schubert M, Freiberg A, Drössler S, Hussenoeder FS, Conrad I, Riedel-Heller S, Starke KR. Psychosocial Occupational Exposures and Mental Illness. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2022 Oct 21;119(42):709-715. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0295. PMID: 36345690; PMCID: PMC9835701. Their conclusion is that “[p]sychosocial occupational stress is clearly associated with depression and anxiety disorders.” Supra.
What Does This Study Mean To Injured Workers?
This study may impact Injured Worker’s claims. Injured Workers presenting to a psychiatrist or psychologist with a stress claim involving depression or anxiety complaints for which they tell of an occupation involving high work demand and low job control have a greater likelihood of being believed. The evaluator, familiar with these studies, may find the Injured Workers complaints in line with the research literature. Additionally, an Injured Worker’s length of stress exposure is likely to be another factor that an evaluator would consider. As noted, there is evidence that prolonged exposure to stress may increase the risk of mental illness.
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