Occupational stress intervention.

The topic of occupational stress has received considerable research attention during the last decade and has emerged as an important occupational safety and health concern. Worker compensation claims for stress-related illnesses, for example, were the fastest growing type of claim in the 1980s, comprising more that 11% of all such claims. Concern over problems associated with occupational stress and their costs has fostered interest in intervention strategies. While specific work stressors and their resulting physical and mental health consequences have been identified, relatively few successful interventions have been documented in the literature. This article discusses primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions efforts in the area of occupational stress and argues for efforts to increase understanding of the occupational stress intervention process.