The Bottom Line: The Impact of Mental Stress on Workplace Injuries

Stress can cause a wide range of negative physical and mental health outcomes, and as a result can can lead to workplace injuries. Director of Ergonomics Research Blake McGowan shares the results of a study that confirmed these findings.

The impact of stress on workplace injuries are:

1. increases in mental stress increases spinal forces during manual lifting.
2. the mechanism for increased risk is increased spinal muscle activity and co-contraction, and altered trunk movements.

References: WS Marras , KG Davis, CA Heaney, AB Maronitis, WG Allread. (2000). The Influence of Psychosocial Stress, Gender, and Personality on Mechanical Loading of the Lumbar Spine. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2000 Dec 1;25(23):3045-54.