Up to 60% of all lost working days can be attributed to work-related stress and psychosocial risks, a new study suggests.

According to the findings by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), stress is currently the second most frequently reported health problem among European workers, after musculoskeletal disorders.

The study noted that over a nine-year period, almost 28% of workers in Europe reported exposure to psychosocial risks that affected their mental wellbeing.

Psychosocial risk factors in the workplace include psychological support, clear leadership, recognition and reward, management of workloads and respect. If any of these are lacking, it can have a major impact on the mental health of workers.

Commenting on this issue ahead of European Health and Safety Week, which runs from October 19-23, Patricia Murray, an occupational therapist with Ireland's Health and Safety Authority (HSA), noted that some pressure in work is completely normal ‘and to be expected'.

"However, when this pressure develops into a persistently stressful working environment, with little or no supports in place, people can find it difficult to cope and some may develop a range of health issues as a result. And as with most potential health issues, it is much better to take a preventative approach," she said.

She noted that severe stress can have far-reaching consequences, including concentration problems, burnout, substance misuse and poor physical health.

The business place also suffers as a result of poorer work quality, increased absenteeism and increased accident/injury rates.

"What's more, absences that arise as a result of psychosocial risks tend to run on longer than absences caused by other factors. Research has also shown that work-related stress may contribute to increased rates of early retirement, particularly in white-collar workers. The estimates of the cost to businesses run into billions of euro," Ms Murray pointed out.

Research by the European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks found that only around half of larger organisations have established procedures for dealing with psychosocial risks. This figure falls to 20-30% among smaller organisations.

The HSA insisted that even with limited resources, psychosocial risks can be assessed and managed in small organisations in a cost effective manner. Any costs involved outweigh the costs of dealing with the consequences of stress and psychosocial risks.

It pointed out that if a good psychosocial work environment is created, workers and managers are better able to deal with any difficult situations that may arise. Psychological expertise is usually only required in exceptional circumstances.

"The goal of any employer should be to ensure that workplace activities are not unduly adding to the issues facing any employee or group of employees. It makes clear business sense," Ms Murray said.

The HSA makes a number of recommendations to employers:

-No employee's workload should be so high that they constantly have to work overtime
-No employee should be at the receiving end of harassment or degrading behaviour from colleagues or managers. Everyone in the workplace should treat others with respect and courtesy, even if they do not get along
-No employee should have to work in an environment which is unsafe and in which they have a reason to be worried about accidents
-Everyone should know what their core job is
-Employees should be appropriately trained so they can do their jobs properly
-There should be a fair system of reward in place across the business.