Graphic commercials of cancerous lungs serve as visual reminders of the negative effects of smoking. Secondhand smoke (SHS), or smoke that is involuntarily inhaled, has increasingly become a major concern, as it is classified as a “known human carcinogen” containing at least 7,000 chemical compounds. Given all these negative associations with smoking, it’s alarming, and even scary, to learn that workplace stress can impact mental health as much as secondhand smoke.
THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF WORKPLACE STRESS
According to a review of studies conducted by researchers at Harvard Business School and Stanford University, employees are not taking care of their mental health as much as they should be. In recent years, various workplace programs have been designed to highlight the importance of healthy life choices, such as eating right and exercising. However, not nearly enough emphasize is placed on psychological issues, which can be just as detrimental to the body.
Joel Goh, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School, told the Boston Globe, “Wellness programs are great at doing what they’re designed to do. But they’re targeting [employee behavior], not targeting the cause of stress.”
Goh, in speaking about the issue, highlights the need for physical and psychological balance: “There are two sides of the equation and right now we focus on one side.”
RESULTS OF WORKPLACE STRESS STUDIES
The review focused on 228 studies – each with over 1,000 participants – that assessed the effects of 10 workplace stressors, including work-family conflict, job insecurity, high job demands, lack of health insurance and extended work hours, among other factors, according to UPI.
In particular, job insecurity caused a 50% increase in poor health reporting and mortality rates rose by roughly 20% due to long work hours. High job demands also increased the chances of developing a “physician diagnosed illness” by 35%.
The statistics are especially concerning, considering the fact that approximately 2,500,000 nonsmokers have died due to health complications related to exposure to secondhand smoke since 1964. Thus the results of the review emphasize the need for employees to focus on their on mental health in the workplace, and for employers to do the same.
