The number of occupational injuries due to psychosocial work factors, reported to the Danish Working Environment Authority, shows significant increases between 1993 and 2003. Moreover, occupational injuries caused by psychosocial risk factors in the workplace represent a growing proportion of all reported illnesses and symptoms. The percentage of psychosocial occupational injuries, relative to all reported illnesses and symptoms, has risen from 3.1% in 1993 to 13.6% in 2003. This is partly explained by the simultaneous decrease in the total number of reported illnesses and symptoms, and increase in reported psychological and psychosomatic reactions.

However, the rise in psychosocial occupational injuries is not only a relative one. A significant increase can be identified in real numbers as well. The number of reported psychological and psychosomatic illnesses and symptoms has risen from 481 in 1993 to 1,558 in 2003.

The Danish Working Environment Authority estimates that the actual figures for occupational injuries caused by the psychosocial working environment are much higher than the numbers indicate. The rationale behind this assumption is that many workers suffering from psychological and psychosomatic diseases tend to withhold information about the psychosocial climate in the workplace when consulting their doctor. There may be two reasons for this:

•  many people tend not to speak openly about mental problems and disorders; 
• the patient might consider the workplace to be outside the doctor’s responsibility.

By comparing the number of reported incidences with indicators of psychosocial risk factors in the working environment, the Danish Working Environment Authority estimates that reporting ought to be approximately 20 times higher than it actually is.

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