Group-Related Psychosocial Working Conditions and Individual Health Impairment: A Multilevel Approach That Reflects Intragroup Agreement

Abstract: Psychosocial job characteristics are typically examined at the individual level, whereas psychosocial risk assessment (PRA) relies on group-level averages to evaluate work-related health risks. This study investigates how group-level averages of psychosocial risk factors, collected in the context of PRA, relate to individual health risks. Using data from 9,238 employees across 32 organizations, we applied a three-level generalized mixed model to estimate associations between group-level psychosocial risk factors and individual burnout and explored whether within-group agreement influences these associations. Group-level demands and resources showed meaningful associations with individual burnout, whereas the effects of within-group agreement were inconsistent. These findings suggest that aggregated workplace-group scores reflect relevant aspects of psychosocial risk and can inform PRA. Incorporating group-level perspectives extends current theoretical and methodological considerations beyond individual data and may support a more nuanced interpretation of PRA results when identifying areas that could benefit from targeted preventive measures.