The scale of occupational stress The Bristol Stress and Health at Work Study Prepared by the Department of Experimental Psychology and the Department of Social Medicine for the Health and Safety Executive CONTRACT RESEARCH REPORT 2685/2000| HSE wie. The scale of occupational stress The Bristol Stress and Health at Work Study Andrew Smith, Sarbjit Johal and Emma Wadsworth Department of Experimental Psychology University of Bristol 8 Woodland Road Bristol BS8 1TN George Davey Smith and Tim Peters Department of Social Medicine University of Bristol Canynge Hall Whiteladies Road Bristol BS8 2PR “The research reported here had three main ims. Fft, to dotomine the scale and severty of ‘osupational sree in a random population sample, Second, Gstnguich the effects of stress ‘St work rom those of gone mine whether objective indicators of Fealth status and perfomance ficiency wer related to perceived occupational stress. “These aime wo selected people from the Béstol electoral regi etailee investigation of a echort from the “pproxmately 20% ofthe sample reported that ney had vory high or extemely high ove of ‘Ziose at work, This eftect was relable overtime, related to potentially stressful working ondiions and associated wih impaired physcal and mental haath. The effects of occupational Gtess could not be atriouted to Me etrees or negative affectviy. The cohort study also iweatigated by conducting an epidemiclogical suvey of 17 000 randomly followup survey 12 months later, nd ‘of occupational stress may Influence physiology and mental perfomance, “This report ane the workit desetbes wore funded by the Hoath and Safety Executive (HSE), to Contents, Including any opmons andor conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone land do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. HSE 800KS© Crown copyright 2000 Applications for reproduction shouldbe made in writing to: Copyright Unt, Her Majety's Stationery Office, ‘Si Clements House, 2-16 Colegat, Norwich NR3 BQ Firs published 2000 1SBN07176 1783 1 llrightsreserved. No par of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval sytem, o transite in sny form or by any means (electronic, meckanical, ‘Photocopying, recording or etherwise) without the prior ‘written permission ofthe copyright owner