5 Causes Of Psychological Injuries In The Workplace

st. louis woman stressed at work

Psychological injuries are emotional or mental problems that can affect a person’s life on all layers, from how they behave to how they react, think, or even feel. These forms of injuries are getting increasingly more attention, mostly thanks to the boosted awareness of mental health issues and causes.

Psychological injuries aren’t just caused by childhood trauma or things one suffers in their personal life; they can be caused by your job as well. Here are the 5 most common causes of workplace psychological injuries:

Bullying and Harassment

Workplace bullying and harassment are becoming more and more obvious, as people begin to understand what sort of behavior is acceptable or not in the workplace. In a nutshell, any sort of behavior that makes an employee feel uncomfortable, threatened, or discriminated against has the potential to cause psychological injuries.

These behaviors can come both from superiors and peers, and create a hostile work environment. If the recipient of these behaviors cannot cope, it is possible to experience some emotional distress as a result.

Job Insecurity

These days, it seems nobody truly knows their job is safe. Companies often restructure, merge, or reduce staff members, and that can create high levels of stress among employees who are worried the could be fired at any point.

Studies have shown that job insecurity can lead to poor health, even more than smoking or hypertension can.

Working with Difficult Customers

People who work in retail know all too well the struggles of dealing with a difficult customer. These moments can unleash very high levels of stress that tend to persist even after the difficult customer leaves. Employees can feel the pressure to appease any difficult client and blame themselves when they cannot diffuse difficult situations, which can make them feel tense and uneasy.

Working Too Much

In some jobs, deadlines must be met at all costs, even if that means taking on more responsibilities and working long hours. This behavior can put a strain on a person’s mental health because, for one thing, they don’t have the time to disengage from their office and enjoy some leisure time. Stressful periods at work often make people take their job (or the stress of it) at home with them.

Working at Night

Humans aren’t night creatures, yet some jobs require people to go to the office and perform various activities a long time after the sun has set. This work schedule is known to lead to an array of health problems, such as high-stress levels.

Have You Been Injured at Work?

Psychological injuries can be just as debilitating as physical ones. If your work environment has led to a psychological injury that has affected your day to day life, get in touch with an experienced St. Louis worker’s compensation attorney for legal advice and support. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4300 for a FREE case evaluation.

Updated: February 12, 2020