Perceived risk from occupational stress: a survey of 15 European countries

Aims: To examine the ranking of workers in 15 European countries with respect to the extent that work is perceived to influence occupational stress. Methods: International interviewer administered cross-sectional survey. Control variables included demographics, perceived job conditions, and job satisfaction. A sample of working adults (n = 11 054) from 15 European countries were studied. Results: In three statistical models, the British sample ranked in the lower half of the distribution, where higher rankings indicated greater perceived risk of occupational stress. The Greek sample was ranked first in all models, and the Irish sample ranked last in all models. Conclusions: Since there is sociocultural variation in the perceived risk from occupational stress, it is possible that sociocultural factors influence the accuracy of national monitoring systems and the success of occupational health policy in this area.