Health Salety ‘recwtve HSE CONTRACT RESEARCH REPORT No. 61/1993 STRESS RESEARCH AND STRESS MANAGEMENT: PUTTING THEORY TO WORK Tom Cox Centre for Organizational Health and Development, Department of Psychology, University of Nottingham NG7 2RD ‘This review of occupational strass research considers early and contemporary studies on the nature of stress at work, is effects on healt and the way in which such knowiedge Is being applied in artempts to manage the problem. Itdiscusses the conceptual trameworks Implied in the practice of stress management ai work and in health and safety legisiavon, In paricula it focuses on the utlty of the ‘control cycle’ anc problem-solving approaches to the management of siress at work This repon and the wark it describes were funded by the Health and Satety Executve_ ts contents, inctuding any ‘opinions andior conciusions expressed, are those of the author alone and do not necessarily retlect HSE policy. © Crown copynght 1993 Applications for reproduction should be macie to HMSO First published 1993 ISBN 0 7176 0684 810 2.0 2a 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2.10 3.0 Bl 33 a4 35 40 4. 42 43 44 45 4.6 5.0 51 53 B4 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 10 8.0 Contents ‘TERMS OF REFERENCE BACKGROUND TO REVIEW 11 Work Stress in Perspective DEFINITION OF STRESS Engineering Approach Physiological Approach Griticisms of Engineering and Physiological Approaches Psychological Approach Interactional Theories of Stress ‘Transactional Definitions Coping Individual and Group Differences Implications for Measurement Summary WORK HAZARDS AND STRESS Physical Hazards Psychosocial Hazards Animal Studies Distribution of Psychosocial Work Hazards Summary STRESS AND HEALTH Effects of Stress: An Overview Psychological and Social Effects Physiological Change and Physical Health Extent of the Problem Organizational Effects Summary STRESS MANAGEMENT Objectives Agency and Target Common Interventions: Their Effectiveness Summary A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERVENTIO! The Control Cycle Implementation of the Contrel Cycle: Stress Management Monitoring Evaluation Standards and Targets Targets: Processes and Outeomes ‘The Role of Legislation Summary CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: REFERENCES rutting Theory to Work BERBEEBS omen aa 28eee © 8 SERLRZasA ARLHS BRSLBRR Page 2