Research Plus

Organisational change

There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate an association between organisational change and increased risk of mental ill health, according to this systematic review. Change included downsizing, restructuring, mergers and altered job content. Hospital staff and civil servants were the most commonly studied. Associations between organisational change and mental health were found in 11 of the 17 included studies. An association was more likely in the cross-sectional rather than longitudinal studies, which might suggest that short-term effects on mental health disappear over time. All four studies on major job change found an association with increased mental health problems.

Occupational Health at Work June/July 2012 (vol. 09/1) pp39