Psychosocial risks at work: causes and consequences

Abstract

In recent years, significant changes have occurred in the world of work. These changes led to the emergence of new occupational risks for the worker, as is the case of work-related psychosocial risks. Exposure to these risks has harmful consequences for workers' health, whether at the physiological, mental or psychological level. Work-related psychosocial risks have been identified as one of the major contemporary challenges to workers' health and safety and are linked to workplace problems such as work stress, violence, harassment and workplace intimidation. Psychosocial risk factors are complex and difficult to understand because they represent the perceptions and experiences of the worker, some of these perceptions refer to the person, others relate to the conditions or work environment, however, the main consequences have to do with the organizational and individual consequences. The prevention of psychosocial risk factors at work requires an active and dynamic involvement of the organization and workers.