Personal meanings of occupational stress: Cases from the clinic

This paper takes a psychodynamic perspective to consider the topic of occupational stress. Using case studies from managerial/professional clients referred to a psychology clinic for help with severe stress, it describes the personal meanings for their distressing experiences which lie behind the traditional role stress categories. In doing this it provides a qualitative account of the way that one type of individual difference, early experience, interacts with the work environment to produce feelings and symptoms of stress. It concludes that the psychodynamic method can be used, alongside questionnaire and interview studies, to provide an extra perspective on the causes of occupational stress.