Abstract

Psychological health problems seem to be on the rise in Canadian workplaces. Studies show that first-level supervisors are key players who can have an influence on workers’ health. They may control psychosocial risk factors, such as decision-making latitude and workload, as well as being partially responsible for setting up preventive services for their teams. Despite the existence of support measures, many companies are still reluctant to engage in primary prevention.

The goal of this study is to explore what facilitates and what interferes with the adoption of preventive methods by first-level supervisors. The study has a prospective component, done with companies that have diagnosed psychosocial risks and are using preventive methods, and a retrospective component, done with companies that have implemented preventive measures in the past five years.

The results of this study could help companies determine the most promising methods of preventing workplace psychological health problems.