8290477 Trends in work-related mental ill-health mapped to the health and safety executive management standards

<h3>Objective</h3> Work-related stress (WRS) accounts for 46% (2023/24) of work-related ill-health (WRIH) self-reports to the UKs Health and Safety Executive (HSE); accounting for half all working days lost. In response to growing burden of WRS, in 2004 HSE launched the Management Standards (MS) to help organisations tackle WRS. Despite widespread support, there is little understanding of the MS presence within WRS reporting. Using WRIH data reported to a UK-wide surveillance scheme, we investigated trends in WRS with reference to the launch of the MS. <h3>Materials and Methods</h3> WRS cases reported by occupational physicians were extracted from The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) database and mapped to the six MS domains. Trends in WRS incidence rates (1996-2019) attributed to the 6 MS domains were evaluated using linear splines split at 2004 within a mixed negative binomial model. <h3>Results</h3> Between 1996-2019 slight increases were observed in total WRS 0.4% (95% CIs: -0.3, 1.0) and for `any’ indication of the MS domains: ‘control’ 2.4% (0.5, 5.4); ‘support’ 3.8% (2.0, 5.7); ‘role’ 5.7% (2.4, 9.0); ‘demands’ 0.4% (-0.5, 1.3); ‘change’ 0.5% (-0.9, 1.9); and ‘relationships’ 1.5% (0.5, 2.5). Domains, `support’, `role’, `demand’ and `relationships’ incidence appeared to increase significantly prior to 2004 (13%, 12%, 4.2%, 13%) and more gradual (4.8%, 2.3%, -0.5% and -0.5%) post 2004. However, `control’, and `change’ appear to decrease (-8%, -2%) pre and increase post 2004 (5%, 1.1%). These trends appear to be driven by WRS associated with multiple combinations of MS domains e.g. increasing Demands+Relationships, whereas Demands only were decreasing. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Though WRS appears to be decreasing, individual MS appear to be increasing though more gradually since 2004. This may be a reflection of a period of improved ability to identify or label MS as a contributing factor, followed by increase in multiple MS being associated with a WRS.