Stress at work and psychosomatic complaints: A causal interpretation

Abstract

Examined the correlation between stress at work and psychosomatic complaints in 3 studies involving 1,047 German male blue-collar workers from 10 factories. In Study 1, 206 Ss were interviewed to measure psychological stress at work, psychosomatic complaints, and possible 3rd variables (e.g., job insecurity, leisure-time stress, lack of support from wife, political exaggeration, SES, and overrating or underrating stress at work). Ss represented 3–4 workers at each work place observed. In Study 2, 841 Ss were interviewed and 407 work places were observed. In Study 3, 90 Ss from Study 2 were reinterviewed and their work places reobserved. Results show that the correlation between physical stress and psychosomatic complaints can be explained by some 3rd variable, while the correlation between psychological stress and psychosomatic complaints cannot be explained by any of the alternative hypotheses. Objective conditions of work stress influenced the development of subjective stress and psychosomatic complaints. (45 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)