NIOSH Educational DVD on Work Stress Discusses Work Organization Factors, Interventions

Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 401-3749
November 18, 2002

A new DVD program from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes workplace factors that can create or exacerbate worker stress, and suggests practical measures for reducing job-related stress through changes in work organization.

"Working With Stress" is the first NIOSH training and educational video program on the topic of workplace stress. It is a companion program to the 1999 NIOSH document, "Stress ... At Work," more than 154,000 copies of which have been distributed.

The new DVD is designed to be a working resource for employers, human resources managers, occupational health and safety professionals, workers, educators, and others. It combines authoritative information with an easy-to-understand, viewer-friendly presentation.

The new DVD program summarizes current information about the causes, symptoms, and prevalence of work-related stress, and notes NIOSH's position that the most effective way to reduce work-related stress is to identify and address organizational stress factors in the workplace. The program includes case studies to illustrate strategies that have been used by small and large employers to reduce stress in the workplace.

The program is also available in VHS videocassette format, if requested. The DVD version provides greater visual clarity and includes features not present on VHS, including an interactive user's menu and supplemental reference materials that can be accessed through the menu.

To request a copy of "Working With Stress" (Pub. No. 2003-114D (DVD), Pub. No. 2003-114V (VHS)), contact the NIOSH Publications Office, or call toll-free 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).

The new work stress DVD follows another recent NIOSH document on work, stress, and health in today's changing workplace. That document, "The Changing Organization of Work and the Safety and Health of Working People," offered a comprehensive discussion of the new research needed to investigate and reduce occupational safety and health risks associated with dramatic modern changes in work organization. The document was developed by a working group of NIOSH researchers and diverse colleagues under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

New research findings and needs on work stress will also be discussed at an upcoming international conference sponsored by NIOSH, the American Psychological Association, and the School of Business, Queen's University, Canada. "Work, Stress, and Health: New Challenges in a Changing Workplace," the Fifth Interdisciplinary Conference on Occupational Stress and Health, will be held March 20-22, 2003, in Toronto.

For copies of documents and further information about NIOSH research on occupational stress, work organization, and other topics, contact toll-free 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or visit the NIOSH web page