Tores.Theorell@stressforskning.su.se

Mean increase in plasma testosterone when change from ”high job strain” (ratio between demand and control; average of two highest observations of four during study year) to ”low job strain” (average

of two lowest)

% increase Standard error

All men in study n=44 14 +/- 6

White collars only n=23 23 +/- 9

Blue collars only n=21 4 +/- 8

Theorell, Karasek and Eneroth, Journal of Internal Medicine 227: 31-36, 1990

In women with acute onset of low back pain, low DHEA-s predicted persistent disability after six months (Hasselhorn, Theorell and

Vingård, Spine E24-29, 2001)

This was replicated in a larger group of 121 media workers (men and women) who were followed for 12 months: Again low DHEA-s predicted persistent pain

Schell E, Theorell T, Hasson D, Arnetz B, Saraste H. Eur Spine J. 2007

Lack of cultural activities through work in relation to demand control model. SLOSH n=5100.

Theorell Scand J Work Env Health suppl 2008

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

Adjusted for age, education, and branch

Odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals for low occurrence (never or some time per year) of cultural activities by the demand-control model (measured by DCQ 2006)

Men

Women

Low strain

Referencecategory

Passive Active Strain

Bygren et al Psychosomatic Medicine 71:469-473, 2009

Local government officers in a municipality were allowed to visit self-selected cultural activities once a week for eight weeks

films, concerts, or art exhibitions visits, or singing in a choir

Random allocation 51/50

Significantly improved physical health, social functioning and vitality according to SF-36

(two-way interaction) after eight weeks in cultural

activity group compared to control group

Study of effects of ethical/social management training. ”Classical” management course is compared with poetry/music sessions

followed up by ethical discussions. Focus on difficult decisions that managers have to face. Both courses last for one year.

Randomised allocation of manager participants.

24 managers in each group were followed for a year. Four employees for each manager were also followed. Work environment and mental health /questionnaire. Blood samples drawn for analysis of

of hormones reflecting energy mobilisation (cortisol) and regeneration (DHEA:s)

Employees rate increased Courage and less Laissez Faire in managers who participated in ethical management training (significant two way interactions) particularly after 18 months.

Romanowska et al 2008

Joint analysis of participating managers and subordinates after 12 (end of interventions) and 18 months:

Mental health (sleep disturbance, depression, mental exhaustion) showed significantly better development in ”artistic” manager education group than in ”classical” group particularly after 18

months

DHEA-s (index of anabolism) concentration showed no difference after 12 months but significantly better development in ”artistic”

than in ”classical” group after 18 months

Cortisol (index of ”stress”) significantly different after 12 months (elevation in ”artistic” and reduction in ”classical” group) but no

difference after 18 months

Romanowska et al, in preparation 2009

5,6

5,7

5,8

5,9

6

6,1

6,2

Påverkansmöjlighet (möjlig range 2-8)

0,75

1

1,25 1,5 1,75

2

2,25

Före/efter ett års program

FörsäkringsanställdaF interaktion=6.00, p=0.02

Controln=99

Expern=117

eftföre

340

350

360

370

380

390

400

Cortisol i serum nmol/l

0,75

1

1,25 1,5 1,75

2

2,25

Före/efter program

FörsäkringsanställdaF=7.86, p=0.005

Controln=130

Expern=127

eftföre

Cort

Source: Theorell et al. Employee effects of an educational program for managers. Psychosom. Med. 67; 724-733, 2001.

Managerial Leadership and Ischemic Heart Disease Among Employees: The Swedish WOLF Study

Anna Nyberg (1), Lars Alfredsson (2,3), Töres Theorell (1), Hugo Westerlund (1), Jussi Vahtera (4), and Mika Kivimäki (5)

1.) Institute for Stress Research Stockholm University

2.) Institute for Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Inst

3.) Centre for Public Health, Karolinska Hospital

4.) Finnish Institute for Occupational Health

5.) University College London, Dep. Epidem/Publ Health

Organisational and Environmental Medicine 2009

Association between employee score (fair management) and risk of subsequent myocardial infarction after adjustments.

WOLF Stockholm (3122 men aged 25-65 at start followed for 10 years)

Increase of one standard deviation on the scale was associated with reduced risk:

0.57 (CI 0.43-0.76)

Those who reported that they had a fair and good management had a 43% reduction after adjustment for other

risk factors.

The longer the exposure to this management the more reduction

Risk of developing a myocardial infarction in Swedish working men during 10 years of follow-up in

relation to covert coping (Stockholm WOLF study)

Coping scoreN HR (95% CI)

Low (4-7) 712 1 (ref.)

Medium (8-10) 1288 4.20 (1.25-14.13)

High (11-16) 708 5.94 (1.75-20.20)

Adjusted for age, demographic factors, behavioural risk factors, demand and decision latitude as well as for biological risk factors

Leineweber et al Journ Epidemiol Comm Health, in press 2009

Hasson, D et al. . BMC Public Health. 78(5); 1-14, 2005

Hasson, D et al. . BMC Public Health. 78(5); 1-14, 2005

Geometric means of individual saliva cortisol concentration in choir group (beginners) and information group of IBS patients, randomly selected for once a week meetings during a year. For each individual and assessment day there are geometric means of six assessments from

morning to bedtime. Baseline, six months, nine months and twelve months from start

Grape, Wikström, Ekman, Hasson and Theorell manuscript 2009

Figure 1. Geometric means of six assessments of saliva testosterone concentration during each assessment day in each subject at baseline and 6, 9 and 12 months later in the two study groups. All individual subjects who participated on all occasions are displayed as lines. The graphs show that in the choir group there is an increase arithmetically in concentration from before start to six months later in 10 subjects, a decrease in one subject and unchanged level in one. During the same period in the information group there are in general much smaller changes with an increase in two subjects and a decrease in eight.