Psychosocial risk factors at work: limitations for a comprehensive approach to work-related mental health

Abstract

Introduction: psychosocial risks are identified as factors that can contribute or even trigger stress, physical and mental illness in workers. Objective: to contribute to the debate about the limitations of psychosocial risk factors at work and reflect upon the need for an expanded and comprehensive approach to the workers’ mental health care. Methods: a qualitative study based on literature review and document analysis. We carried out a brief contextualization of the world of work, presented data on the workers’ mental illness and approached the different conceptions of the psychosocial risk factors found in the international literature, as well as the guidelines provided by the Brazilian legislation. Discussion: we discussed the way psychosocial assessments have been carried out in Brazil and the limitations of making use of quantitative tools. We presented an expanded and comprehensive approach to understand the workers’ illness process, pointing at the need to consider the various political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and intrapsychic elements in the mental strain of the working class.