KN-05 Knowledge Notes EFFECTIVENESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL INTERVENTIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS

To evaluate the effectiveness of organizational-level interventions for the prevention of occupational stress in terms of reducing stress, psychological symptoms, absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover. Background Worldwide, occupational stress (also referred to as stress in the workplace or job stress) has increased considerably over the past several years. Data from national surveys indicate that approximately one-third of employed Canadians report high stress levels. Workers in the healthcare industry are significantly more stressed than employees in general, with close to half (45%) reporting high levels of stress. Although not always directly related, job stress has been linked to psychological and physical illness, absenteeism (including disability claims), presenteeism, and turnover. Workplace stress is therefore costly for employers, which is why they are seeking to prevent the problem. Method We selected systematic reviews (SRs) to formulate the evidence base for this review. We identified all SRs by conducting a systematic search of the health and business literatur