Psychological fitness for work: do we still have a long way to go?

Abstract

In Italy, the absence of adequate regulatory instruments and guidelines for the proper classification of psychiatric disorders in occupational medicine denies occupational physicians the opportunity to adequately evaluate employees’ psycho-physical fitness for work through health surveillance. This applies particularly to the categories of workers who could potentially ‘endanger’ the health and safety of third parties in the workplace. Although each business organization tries to internally manage these cases, there is an increasingly need to have a common reference framework. It is becoming increasingly urgent that both legal experts and scientific researchers address this issue together to define the psychological requirements necessary for the performance of given activities according to the nosological classification of psychiatric disorders from the DSM-5; this will protect the health and safety of both the workers and third parties.

Keywords

• occupational medicine; psychology
• medical; psychiatry; occupational diseases; safety.