Abstract

This report summarizes knowledge relating to organizational intervention programs and strategies involving occupational mental health. The authors have defined a reference framework that requires that evidence of problems of stress exist before conducting workplace interventions. This approach necessitates the establishment of proof as to the presence of sources of stress and a clear description of these sources, the resulting symptoms, and the consequences of this stress, in order to propose and evaluate interventions likely to address the problem in its entirety.

According to this framework, sociotechnical type interventions, which emphasize objective changes to the environment and mainly to task design, would be advantageous. The other type of intervention (psychosocial) tends instead to act on the employee’s perception of his environment, by means of strategies supporting participation, communication and social relationships, while reducing the ambiguity of roles, mitigating conflict, and increasing autonomy. For the authors, the research is still insufficient to formulate firm opinions about this second type of intervention.

The report contains many recommendations on the research necessary in this field, on the methodology and measurement of variables, on practice within organizations, and on the promotion of excellence in research. Researchers and practitioners will find that this document contains relevant information for promoting occupational mental health.