About us
Globalization and today’s industrialized world have undoubtedly brought a series of consequences to workers’ health and well-being. Particularly, the psychosocial effects in the working population are considered an emergent problem with great relevance and complexity.
In 1984, a group of experts from ILO and WHO recommended that due to the effects of psychosocial factors in workers’ health and performance, there must be a thorough surveillance and prevention. Since then, and especially during the last decade, developed countries have invested a great amount of effort in research on the matter, and their achievements have been important not only in developing theoretical models and outstanding empirical evidence but also in terms of practical relevance at institutional and even legal level in some countries.
In developed countries, bodies have been established to consolidate an emergent field called Occupational Health Psychology, which references to the use of psychology in order to improve people’s quality of life as well as promoting and protecting workers’ health, safety and well-being (APA/NIOSH, 1996).
Recently, the Society for Occupational Health Psychology and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology have established alliances with other institutions (APA, NIOSH, OSHA) with the objective of strengthening the field and promoting its development.
Nonetheless, whilst this great progress is occurring in developed countries, in Latin America and other developing countries, the problematic is still unknown, underestimated and in some cases even ignored. Not only has the progress been limited, but the efforts of some Latino researchers have been isolated.
In this scenario, a group of researchers, with the support of the Autonomous University of Morelos State and the UCLA/Fogarty program, has undertaken the challenge of joining forces to do something about it. As a first step, getting acquainted and exchanging ideas was necessary; this is how the First Forum of the Americas on Psychosocial Factors, Stress and Mental Health in the Workplace was organized in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico on October, 2006. With the joined participation of researchers from Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Spain, USA and mainly Mexico, the greatest achievement was the creation of the The Network of Researcher on Psychosocial Factors at Work (Red de Investigadores sobre factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C.).
Along with a series of challenges for the future, the three basic focuses set for the network are:
- Research focus. The generation of knowledge is a priority in Latin American countries regarding the topic; the research encouraged will avoid approaching to the topic in a pseudo-scientific way.
- Specific focus VS Occupational Health. For the first time in history (Mexican at least), an organization is established to study the problem of these specific phenomena: psychosocial factors, stress and mental health in the workplace. Those existing up to date are institutions or associations on the field of general occupational health and thus offer limited perspectives on the complex problem of the topic.
- Preventive and health promoting focus. We intend a superior focus to that of the biomedical model, which is focused on the illness, the biological and the cure.
We take on the concept of health in a more inclusive way. This includes social and psychological processes that are complementary to the biological model; it also means that prevention and health promotion are a priority.
The fundamental objectives of our network are:
- To link researchers, students, workers and any person interested in the study of psychosocial factors at work and their physical and mental repercussions in workers’ health, through the creation of real and virtual spaces for permanent contact (meetings, academic events, web site, etc.).
- To promote the theoretical and methodological exchange along with experiences and training generated on the topic and thus ensuring its dissemination and availability for any interested person.
- To contribute on the development, specialization and training on topics of occupational health in Latin America; this includes advanced training for network members and the consolidation of high-level research teams.
- To promote research on psychosocial factors in occupational health in order to identify critical problems on psychological well-being and working quality of life, seeking its dissemination, publication and its impact on tangible solutions.
- Establish communication and collaboration with private and public institutions, as well as other organizations and networks committed to workers’ psychosocial well-being in order to establish programs of formal surveillance, prevention and intervention in the workplace; all this with help of authorities and involved parties. Furthermore, we will aim to the promulgation of norms and laws that will limit workers’ exposition to psychosocial factors that are harmful to health.
Recent achievements:
- Since November 2007, the directive board was established and in January 2008, the network was legally established as an association (Asociación Civil).
- Establishing of a permanent bi-annual forum
-Establishing of a permanent seminar in Mexico City for the theoretical and methodological discussion.
- Creation of a web page with results of the forum and as the network’s official web page.
- Joined projects and publications among several members of the network.
- Participation in commissions and exchanges with IMSS and WHO.
We know the challenges are huge, but our will to improve the well-being and health of the workforce in Latin America is even larger; and we also know that together we will accomplish this righteous mission.
Network of Researchers on Psychosocial Factors at Work - Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C