Can Job Stress Contribute To Mental Illness?

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The answer should be obvious right. YES!! Countless scientific studies have repeatedly shown that job stress does impact your mental health and could contribute to mental illness as well. Repeated job related stress can affect you emotionally and psychologically. Stress in the workplace has adverse effects on workers’ mental health, with an increased risk of anxiety, burnout, depression, and substance use disorders.

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The negative mental health effects of job stress are often compounded when that stress trickles into workers’ personal lives. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that seven in ten adults feel that workplace stress has negative consequences for their personal relationships, especially with spouses. When job stress begins to infiltrate our personal lives, our mental health can be even more negatively affected.

Common Causes Of Job Stress

Some common workplace stressors are:

1. Low salaries

2. Excessive workloads

3. Few opportunities for growth or advancement

4. Work that isn’t engaging or challenging

5. Lack of social support

Take Steps To Manage Job Stress

1. Track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them.

2. Develop healthy responses.

3. Establish boundaries.

4. Take time to recharge.

5. Learn how to relax.

6. Talk to your supervisor.

7. Get some support.

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