Occupational Health Psychology Field...
Have you ever heard friends say that they're "burned out" on their jobs? That they're overwhelmed, exhausted and even hate their careers?
We all have heard others say this, and perhaps we've even said it once or twice ourselves. Numerous reasons exist for severe job dissatisfaction, but if you probe long enough, one word usually surfaces, repeatedly, in these conversations: stress.
Occupational health psychology professionals study the impact of workplace stress on workers' physical and mental health. And job stress, researchers have found, is not only a major issue for career satisfaction, but a significant contributor to America's rising health care problems.
According to statistics gathered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives, and three-fourths believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. And health complaints associated with work problems are more common than financial, family and all life-stressors that people report.
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Here are only a few of the major contributors to worker stress:
- Lack of participation or control by workers in decision-making.
- Conflicting or uncertain job expectations.
- Heavy workload, infrequent rest breaks, long work hours and shift work.
NIOSH also reports that health care expenses are 50 percent greater for workers who report high levels of stress. Decades of research show that stressed employees often become victims of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and weakened immune systems.
These statistics and research findings, combined with a populace living and working longer than any other time in history, amount to a greater and more critical need for trained professionals in the emerging field of Occupational Health Psychology. These professionals apply interventions to improve employer-employee relationships, and to improve the workplace environment. Research has also clearly shown that worker productivity directly affects a company's bottom line. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that workers who must take time off work because of stress, anxiety, or a related disorder will miss about 20 work days.
A professional in occupational health psychology works for private or public organizations, many in consulting positions. They explore how stress affects individuals and recommend stress reduction practices and coping mechanisms, and they change stressful environments through job reorganization. These psychology professionals also work in public health or for private corporations designing and promoting stress prevention policies. Positions in occupational health psychology usually require either a master's in health psychology or PhD programs in health psychology. Research and teaching positions are available at colleges and universities.
If you're interested in the connection between health and work, and if you find meaning in helping others achieve career satisfaction, you should consider a job in occupational health psychology.
Also, learn more about the psychology career licensing processes and what the requirements for licensure are: Psychology Career Licensure.
Employment areas in the Occupational Health Psychology Industry
- Many are employed as theoretical researchers
- Larger businesses employ Occupational Psychologists to fill similar positions to Industrial/Organizational Psychologists