Stress, Wellbeing and Psychosocial Issues

Owing to the environment in which we live, employees are exposed to both the demands and pressures of work and life outside work. When these demands and pressures are excessive, they can affect an individual’s work performance, health, wellbeing, and relationships.

At an organisational level, it can result in lost working days, low morale, and reduced performance. The challenge is to understand the excessive demands and pressures to find better ways of managing them.

Our research spans stress, psychosocial issues, and wellbeing, recognising the emerging risks associated with new ways of working (anywhere, anytime, any place) and developments in technology, which is reflected in our research work to date.

It is important that both organisations and individuals understand the potential adverse outcomes of stress and psychosocial risks, as well as what they can do to protect themselves and others.

We apply our expertise using:

  • interviews, surveys, focus groups
  • case studies
  • literature reviews

We have extensive knowledge of stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace having worked on projects in the UK, Europe, and internationally. As a result of the understanding and knowledge this brings, we have developed various guidance materials targeted at employers and employees in different types and sizes of organisations.

Key projects

  • Healthy Use of New Display Screen Equipment (HEADSE) study
  • Good Work Good Health II
  • A Review of Workplace Interventions that Promote Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE))
  • Occupational health concerns: stress-related and psychological problems associated with work (Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament (EMPL))
  • E-Guide to Managing Stress and Psychosocial Risks (The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA))

Sponsors we have worked for 

  • The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
  • European Commission
  • Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament (EMPL)

Conducting research to better understand stress and psychosocial issues and how to manage these for safer and healthier everyday living for all.

12.5 million working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17, this equated to an average of 23.8 days lost per case