Psychosoziale Herausforderungen der Arbeitswelt in der postmodernen Gesellschaft

In this article the cohesion between the working conditions and the psychosocial health state of employees is discussed. At first the conditions of healthy work and in a next step the special psychosocial risks for the health of employees in the modern world of work are described, which are characterized by scientific and technological characteristics on the one hand and by the increase of services on the other hand. A special problem for psychosocial wellbeing is the loss of work. Especially the soft psychosocial characteristics of work, such as processes of communication, the organizational atmosphere and culture, principles of leadership and decision-making have a relevant influence on the psychosocial health of the employees. Finally the socio-cultural and ethical context of the postmodern society is discussed in its implications for the field of work as well as for the health of workers. Strategies of prevention are described and the author argues that psychotherapeutic reflections and interventions should play an important role in the process of developing a necessary debate about ethical standards.