Welcome to the Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) Homepage. NIOSH has an active interest in
promoting the new field of OHP. On this page you will find information on upcoming OHP
conferences, links to schools that offer graduate-level training in OHP, an OPH bibliography,
and more.
Many psychologists have argued that the psychology field needs to take a more active role in
research and practice to prevent occupational stress, illness, and injury. This is what the
new field of Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) is all about. Although research and practice
in OHP may cover a wide range of topics, NIOSH has urged that this new field give special
attention to the primary prevention of organizational risk factors for stress, illness,
and injury at work. This viewpoint
is expressed in the NIOSH-proposed definition of OHP: OHP concerns the application of psychology
to improving the quality of work life, and to protecting and promoting the safety, health and
well-being of workers. The notion of health "protection" in this definition refers to
intervention in the work environment to reduce worker exposures to workplace hazards,
while health "promotion" refers to individual-level interventions to equip workers with
knowledge and resources to improve their health and thereby resist hazards in the work
environment. Although both of these types of interventions can be defined as primary
prevention, the NIOSH-proposed definition places priority on health protection. OHP is
especially concerned with the dramatic transformation of work and employment that has been
underway in industrial economies since the 1980s (e.g., flexible employment and production
processes), and how changing organizational structures and processes are influencing the health
and well-being of workers and their families. Refer to the articles listed under the
OHP Bibliography for a more extensive discussion of this emerging
field.
In the period 1990-1999, NIOSH and the APA launched a series of initiatives to promote the new
field of OHP. Four international conferences on work, stress and health were convened and the
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology was founded in 1996. Of special importance, a program
has been implemented to support both post-doctoral and graduate level training in OHP at major
universities. These programs have strong interdepartmental linkages which expose psychology
students to topics and methods in occupational safety and health, and provide opportunities for
practica, or internships in actual workplaces. The core curricula in these training programs
usually includes coursework addressing the following topics:
Survey of occupational safety and health
Job stress theory and mechanisms
Organizational risk factors for occupational stress, injury, and illness.
Health implications of stressful work, including physical and psychological health,
and social and economic outcomes.
Organizational interventions (e.g., work redesign) and programs (e.g., employee
assistance programs, work-family programs) for reduction of occupational stress,
illness and injury.
Research methods and practices in public/occupational health and epidemiology.
Funds provided by a five-year cooperative agreement between NIOSH and the APA
have enabled several universities to initiate the development of curriculum in OHP. University
programs are at various stages in the development and implementation of their course offerings.
Interested students should contact the primary faculty of the universities for additional
information.
Bowling Green State University
Drs. Carlla Smith and William O’Brien of the psychology department have developed a graduate minor in OHP as part of the
existing I/O and clinical psychology programs. The minor will consist of coursework, research, and supervised practicum
experiences. Bowling Green’s psychology department is collaborating with the Environmental Health Program in the College of
Health and Human Services.
Dr. James McCubbin is heading an interdisciplinary faculty effort to develop graduate training in OHP at Clemson University.
The psychology department has organized an OHP minor for students in their I-O PhD program. Training in OHP is also
available as a concentration in their MS program in Applied Psychology. An integral part of those programs is the Survey of
OHP course that utilizes problem based learning and realistic case studies to develop disciplinary knowledge and problem
solving skills
in OHP.
Supported by the American Psychological Association and National Institute
for Occupational Health and Safety, the CSU psychology department established
an Occupational Health Psychology concentration for graduate students in 2001.
The concentration consists of two critical and unique components: science and
practice, with the mission of training graduate students in different areas
(e.g., ergonomics, clinical psychology, work psychology, etc.) to master research,
theory, and practice in OHP. Two OHP courses (Prevention of occupational illness
and injuries, and Occupational health psychology) have been developed and are
offered every other year since 2002. Several funded interdisciplinary OHP projects
are conducted by faculty and students. Any inquiry about OHP courses or research
projects can be directed to Professor Lorann Stallones or Peter Chen.
Kansas State University (KSU) has fully implemented a graduate certificate in
OHP. The four three-credit hour courses that are required for the completion of
the certificate are offered online in a distance format. Students can enroll for
each class at their convenience and will be granted the certificate upon completion
of the four-course sequence. This involves a proseminar survey of the field, a
seminar on key topics, a review of relevant research methods, and a practicum/internship
in OHP.
Leslie Hammer and Bob Sinclair are co-directing the OHP program at Portland State. The OHP minor consists of a survey course that
provides students with an introduction to the field of OHP, a course on Work and Well-Being, as well as an overview survey course
on Occupational Safety and Health. In addition to these required courses, students take an Organizational Psychology course and
two electives in the area. Finally, students complete a required OHP internship and a dissertation in an area of OHP. This program
is supported by an advisory board made up of experts in the fields of Occupational Health and Safety, Psychology, and Labor Education.
Drs. Michael Burke and Sue Ann Sarpy, are directing the development and implementation of two interdisciplinary courses in OHP,
including a survey course on OHP principles and a course on the principles and techniques of health and safety training. The
development of the courses are intended to lead to the development of an interdisciplinary Master of Science degree program in
OHP and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree program in OHP, respectively. Courses will be offered to those in the psychology
department, as well as programs in environmental health sciences, industrial hygiene, occupational health and safety management,
and health systems management.
Drs. Judith Siegel, Rena Repetti and Peter Schnall have developed a course
titled "Work and Health" (CHS 278). The course is intended to be the
first in a new minor introducing graduate students in the SPH and ERC (NIOSH
Education Research Center) to issues regarding the role of work organization,
and psychosocial factors in the development of mental and physical health problems
of working people. The current course introduces students to the latest psychosocial
stress models (e.g., job strain), documents their impact on mental and physical
health (e.g., hypertension) and provides students through a practicum with hands-on
skills at worksite assessment to identify the presence of these putative risk
factors. This course is part of a larger initiative being conducted by the Southern
California Centers for Occupational and Environmental Health on Psychosocial
factors in the work environment titled STEP (for surveillance, training and
early prevention). See www.workhealth.org for more details.
Rob Henning (I/O Psychology), Vicki Magley (I/O Psychology), and
Nick Warren (Ergonomics Technology Center, University of Connecticut Health
Center) have established a new doctoral training program in "Work Organization
and Health Psychology." This scientist-practitioner model of training within
Industrial/Organizational Psychology includes a graduate certificate consisting
of an OSH proseminar, field methods, lab or field research plus elective courses
such as ergonomics and organizational stress. In addition to financial support
from the I/O Division, students receive fellowship support to engage in OSH
research over summer. Multidisciplinary research themes include the macroergonomics
of hazard management and musculoskeletal disorders, gender discrimination and
workplace civility, rest break schedules during computer-mediated work, health
psychophysiology of work teams, and utility analyses for OSH programs.
Drs. Lois Tetrick and Barbara Ellis will lead the initiative to establish a specialty area of graduate study in OHP in the psychology
department. They are currently developing a survey course in OHP for graduate students and individuals holding a doctorate in
psychology who want additional training in OHP. Additionally, they are coordinating a series of lectures and workshops for faculty
and graduate students to provide the basis for the development of an OHP methodology course. Faculty in industrial engineering
and the Health Law and Policy Institute will collaborate with the psychology department to support the training program.
Dr. Jo-Ida Hansen directs the Occupational Health Psychology emphasis in the psychology department. The curriculum has an
interdisciplinary focus, and courses may be drawn from psychology, environmental and occupational health, speech
communications, industrial relations, human resources, educational psychology, and kinesiology. The Vocational and
Occupational Health Psychology course provides an introduction to the psychology component and the psychological
perspective within the field of occupational health. The Vocational and Occupational Health Psychology Research
Seminar offers an opportunity to explore the OHP research literature in depth. The Career and Occupational Health
Psychology Assessment Seminar provides an overview of instruments used by vocational and OHP psychologists. For those
interested in applied practice, there are courses in therapeutic theories, interventions, ethics, and cultural diversity.
Drs. Tammy Allen and Paul Spector (Psychology) and Teri Albrecht and Yehia Hammad (Public Health) have created an
interdisciplinary concentration in OHP bridging coursework in psychology and public health. The psychology coursework
includes a graduate seminar in OHP and a graduate seminar in careers; public health coursework consists of a course in risk
communication and an elective. The current purpose of the program is to provide OHP training for students in psychology
(mainly clinical and industrial/organizational), public health, and other fields.
Charles J. Holahan, Ph.D., and James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D., are directing the
development and implementation of an Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) training
track in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
The OHP training track has four components: 1) a Seminar in Occupational Health
Psychology, 2) a Research Practicum in Occupational Health Psychology, 3) an
Intervention Practicum in Occupational Health Psychology, and 4) an interdisciplinary
minor in Occupational Health Psychology. Students completing the OHP training
track are graduate students in the Department of Psychology, typically in the
Clinical or Social Psychology Programs.
The Occupational Health Psychology Group is managed by Dr. Amanda Griffiths and
Professor Tom Cox. It is generally concerned with psychosocial and organizational issues in
occupational and environmental health, and has particular interests in relation to work stress
and related organizational level interventions, risk management for work stress, musculoskeletal
disorders, the measurement and management of absence, and aging, work and health.
A listserve is a discussion group conducted via electronic mail. The OHPLIST serves as a
vehicle for discussion among individuals interested in occupational health psychology. To
subscribe, send the following message to listserv@lists.apa.org:
SUBSCRIBE OHPLIST Jane Doe
(change "Jane Doe" to your name)
After sending this message you will soon receive an email explaining how the OHPLIST works, and
how you can participate in the discussion.
Co-Sponsors:
American Psychological Association
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
National Institute of Justice
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research
U.S. Department of Labor
Contact:
Wesley Baker
Conference Coordinator
American Psychological Association
Women's Programs Office
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-6033
Fax: 202-336-6117
Email: wbaker@apa.org
The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology publishes research, theory, and public policy articles in occupational health
psychology, an interdisciplinary field representing a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and specializations. Occupational health
psychology concerns the application of psychology to improving the quality of worklife and to protecting and promoting the safety,
health, and well-being of workers. The Journal has a threefold focus on the work environment, the individual and the work family
interface. The Journal seeks scholarly articles, from both researchers and practitioners, concerning psychological factors in
relationship to all aspects of occupational health. Included in this broad domain of interest are articles in which work-related
psychological factors play a role in the etiology of health problems, articles examining the psychological and associated health
consequences of work, and articles concerned with the use of psychological approaches to prevent or mitigate occupational health
problems. Special attention is given to articles with a prevention emphasis. Manuscripts dealing with issues of contemporary
relevance to the workplace, especially with regard to minority, cultural, or occupationally underrepresented groups, or topics at the
interface of the family and the workplace are encouraged. Each article should represent an addition to knowledge and
understanding of occupational health psychology.
1. Adkins, J.A. (1999). Promoting organizational health: The evolving practice of occupational
health psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 30:2, 129-137.
2. Quick, J.C. (1999). Occupational health psychology: The convergence of health and clinical Psychology With Public Health and
preventive medicine in an organizational context. Professional Psychology: Research and
Practice 30:2, 123-128.
3. Raymond J.S., Wood D.W. & Patrick W.D. (1990). Psychology training in work and health.
American Psychologist 45 1159-61.
4. Sauter, S.L. & Hurrell, J.J. (1999). Occupational health psychology: Origins,
content, and direction. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 30:2 117-122.
5. Sauter, S.L., Hurrell, J.J., Jr., Roberts-Fox, H., Tetrick, L.E., & Barling, J.
(1999). Occupational health psychology: An emerging discipline. Industrial Health, 37, 199-211.
6. Schneider, D.L., Camara, W.J., Tetrick, L.E., & Stenberg, C.R. (1999) Training in
Occupational Health Psychology: Initial Efforts and Alternative Models. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice 30:2, 138-142.
7. Westlander, G. (1994) Training of psychologists in occupational health work: Ten years
of course development- Experience and future perspectives. Eur Work Org Psychology 4,
189-202.