Work-related illness in Great Britain

Abstract

This article considers some of the information that is available on the health of the working population in Great Britain. It considers ill-health retirements, incapacity benefit, injuries sustained at work and, in particular, data from a newly published report on self-reported work-related illness and sickness absence. This survey reveals that people consider their main work-related illness to be musculoskeletal disorders, followed by stress, anxiety and depression. These problem are known to be strongly associated with psychosocial and organizational factors. The extent of these problems appears to be growing, whilst many other occupational disease categories are falling. This article concludes that there is a need for urgent action in research, interventions and education. The new discipline of occupational health psychology in particular offers much of the necessary theory and skills required to investigate and reduce the size of this problem.

Key Words:

• Work-related illness
• Self-report
• Sickness absnece
• Psychosocial factors
• Occupational health psychology