STREAM Newsletter 5

Health, coping style, and work ability
In a recent study conducted with two waves of STREAM data, the associations of poor mental health, and physical health, and different forms of copying style on work ability in employees was explored. Poor mental health and especially poor physical health at baseline related to lower work ability at one-year follow-up. Persons with an active and a non-avoidant coping style had higher work ability than persons with a non-active and an avoidant coping style. We also tested whether certain favorable coping styles, i.e. active, non-avoidant, and seeking support, buffered the associations between poor mental and physical health and low work ability, these interactions were however only marginally significant. The promotion of good employee health and favorable coping strategies can be applied in interventions aimed at promoting high work ability and essentially sustained employability.

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