Stress at work: demands, control and support

Stress has become one of the most prevalent mental health problems in the workplace on Danish workplaces. But stress is not a diagnosis that strikes randomly or only the weak — it is a reaction that arises when the burden over time exceeds what you have in resources to handle it. The Working Environment Authority assesses work-related stress on the basis of precisely this relationship: the relationship between the mental demands of work and the frameworks and conditions you have to meet the demands.

The model is often called the demands-control-support model and has roots in internationally recognised occupational health research. The key point is that it makes no sense to look at demands alone when you need to understand why some workplaces have more stress than others — you have to look at the whole picture of demands, influence and support together.

§Requirements are not in themselves the problem

High demands — time pressure complex tasks emotionally demanding situations — are not in themselves dangerous. Many thrive with challenging tasks. It becomes a problem when demands over time are not matched by the ability to handle them: if you have no influence on how work is organized and do not experience support from managers and colleagues.

§The frameworks: influence and support

The frameworks are about, among other things, how much influence you have on organising your own work, and whether you can get help and feedback from your manager and colleagues. Support can be concrete – help with prioritising tasks, help with setting boundaries between work and leisure, training in new tools – or it can be emotional, in the form of recognition and backing.

Early signs you and colleagues can feel

• 01Sustained fatigue that does not go away after a day off or weekend
• 02Concentration difficulties and more minor errors than normal
• 03Irritability or withdrawal from colleagues and social contexts
• 04Physical reactions such as headache, stomach upset or sleep problems

§What can prevent stress?

Prevention is about organising work so the strain becomes manageable over time — not just about an individual's ability to endure. It can be clearer prioritisation from management when there are too many tasks at once, better staffing during pressured periods, and a culture where it is safe to say when something becomes too much, before it ends in sick leave.

§Your own and colleagues' role

You can keep an eye on your own early signs and talk about them before they grow. As a colleague you can notice if someone changes behavior — becomes quieter, shorter-tempered, or seems exhausted — and ask in a caring way. The working environment organization and the working environment representative have a formal role in taking stress seriously as a working environment problem that should be prevented systematically, not just handled after damage is done.

Stress as part of the APV

Because the psychological work environment is equated with the physical in occupational health and safety legislation, the risk of stress and other mental strain must be included in the workplace assessment (APV) on equal footing with, for example, heavy lifting or noise. This means that questions about workload, time pressure, and support are not something the individual must bear alone — it is something the workplace as a whole has a duty to map and act on.

Understanding stress as an imbalance between demands and resources — rather than a personal weakness — makes it easier to talk openly about it in the workplace. It shifts the conversation from blame to action: what needs to be adjusted in the work framework so the strain becomes bearable?