Expert psychology in the workplace: characteristics and functions
Psychology is increasingly present in our lives, and work being one of the main activities of human beings, this field was not going to be an exception. That is why forensic psychology in the workplace is becoming increasingly important, and the work of the psychologist expert is essential to help assess a series of pathologies and other issues related to the organizational environment.
Besides, Health at work is a very current concern, and the legislation related to it is increasingly richer and broader This means that today a series of psychological pathologies are contemplated, associated with work activity, which sometimes require an expert report to demonstrate their existence and take the appropriate judicial measures to address the situation.
But in reality the work of the forensic occupational psychologist can be much broader, since this discipline addresses very different problems. They can be grouped into four different types.
1. Ability to be hired
By legal regulations, to sign an employment contract, the person must be in full psychological capacity to act, so there may be cases in which, given the existence of certain psychopathology, andThe forensic psychologist must write an expert report that allows us to discern whether or not the person is qualified to carry out the work activity
2. Aptitude to work
Another field in which the labor psychologist expert can act is that which has to do with work aptitude, assuming that a case has reached the courts due to a disagreement about if a worker is qualified to perform a certain job, having a psychological pathology that, presumably, would be limiting him or preventing certain tasks that are essential for that position from being carried out.
3. Disability and disability
Of course, the function of expert psychology in the workplace is fundamental to evaluate certain cases of disability or disability whose origin comes from psychopathology.
In this case, the expert would have to evaluate, first, if said psychopathology really exists, and second, if it is really preventing the normal exercise of their tasks in that job or in any one. This report will be crucial for the subsequent determination of the degree of disability granted, or disability, if the report concludes that, in fact, the worker is being disabled due to the aforementioned causes.
As with physical ailments, these evaluations are essential for a professional, in this case the psychologist expert, to ensure that a simulation is not occurring, as it is a relatively common problem in the context of compensation and subsidies, and therefore requires maximum guarantees to avoid fraud.
But there are also opposite cases, in which the affected person, despite actually having a pathology that prevents him from carrying out his tasks, tries to hide it in order to return to his position as soon as possible. Likewise, these cases must be identified, to guarantee his health above all.
4. Occupational psychopathology
Finally, another of the important tasks of the forensic psychologist within the company would be to evaluate If a psychopathology has been the result of a work accident and therefore must be considered as such for legal purposes (benefits, deadlines, etc.).
Psychological risk factors at work
The work context is one of the environments in which human beings spend the most time in their daily lives, and therefore It is key to have controlled all the psychosocial risk factors that can arise in the workplace, because otherwise the employees could suffer consequences in their state of health, which can range from the first symptoms of stress to chronic ailments that affect the muscular, cardiac, respiratory, digestive, dermatological levels, within the physical symptoms, but for course also on a psychological level. In fact, there is generally a combination of physical and psychological symptoms.
These factors would therefore be considered occupational risks, and The organization must ensure that they are eliminated or reduced to the extent possible so that workers do not suffer consequences or do it in a minimal way. An important aspect comes in here, and it is that it is essential to take into account the characteristics of the person, since psychosocial factors occur due to the interaction between the individual and the environment.
For example, a task that a certain person performs without any problem, such as calling customers on the phone to sell them a product, may pose an insurmountable challenge for a different person, who will suffer great anxiety every time they pick up the phone. to call.
To evaluate all these risks Both quantitative methods are used, whether questionnaires and others, which are easy and economical to carry out, as well as qualitative ones where broader interviews would come in, which provide us with much more information but are also more expensive in terms of resources.
Occupational psychopathology
Now we will explore some of the psychopathological problems that may occur more commonly in the work environment, as a result of the psychosocial risk factors seen above.
1. Stress at work
Work stress is the most frequent pathology in this context It entails a series of symptoms, both physiological and emotional. Its appearance is caused by the perception of a discordance between the physical and psychological resources that the person possesses and the impositions of their job. This imbalance can come from environmental conditions (noise, light, etc.), the characteristics of the tasks to be performed (because they are repetitive, complex, etc.), unclear roles, problematic interpersonal relationships, and more.
The most common causes are usually an excessive workload, relationship problems with superiors or colleagues, or a perception of lack of control over the activity to be carried out. But, as we have already said, All of these issues depend largely on the characteristics of the person themselves since what triggers work stress for one does not do so for others, it is a question that depends on each individual, logically.
As stress at work can come from very diverse causes, the evaluation form must be broad, so that we do not miss any of the factors that may be affecting the employee. Furthermore, as we have already seen, they must always be studied in relation to the subject, since perception will always be subjective and what matters is how the individual feels it, because it is what is really affecting them.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that stress becomes pathological when it is sustained over time or when its intensity is too high, since a peak of stress at a specific moment would not constitute psychopathology. In fact, many studies confirm that a moderate level of stress makes people more efficient in their performance.
Burnout syndrome is a concept that has become popular in recent times It would take place when the stressful situation at work has continued for so long that its effects have become chronic. A person who suffers from burn-out will have a very negative conception of their job as well as those who work there. You will experience mental exhaustion and feel depersonalized and ineffective.
Likewise, to evaluate this disorder it is necessary to consider absolutely all the variables that may be affecting it, but more importantly, also the person’s own perception of them, as it is the key that will explain where the problem comes from. There are specific scales to evaluate burnout, such as the MBI
3. Psychological harassment
Another phenomenon that has been written a lot about in recent years is mobbing, or psychological harassment at work, occupying a multitude of studies within expert psychology in the workplace.
It is very important not to confuse possible interpersonal difficulties, with superiors or colleagues, with the behavior that actually represents mobbing, and which consists of continued psychological abuse towards the individual. The causes of this harassment may be related to work factors, but this does not necessarily have to be the case.
To be able to speak of mobbing, psychological harassment must last over time; it cannot be a single event that occurs in isolation (which would be an interpersonal conflict). These behaviors are exercised from a position of power that does not have to correspond to the hierarchy in the company, since the harassment can come from a colleague of equal rank and even from a subordinate.
The ways in which psychological harassment can occur at work are grouped into these five categories:
It is essential to identify cases of psychological harassment as soon as possible and put an end to them, since its repercussions go far beyond work, and can trigger physical and psychological effects and even problems in your social and family relationships. In the most extreme cases it can lead to suicide, so it is a very serious issue that must be controlled so that it never happens, and if it does, that it is resolved as quickly as possible.
