Introduction: the need for new directions in research on work organization and health

The articles in this issue of the Journal conclude the Special Section on work organization and health, dedicated to the late Bertil Gardell. We review here the earlier articles, which have addressed issues such as: the social epidemiology and psychobiology of work and health, psychosocial prevention and work reform, international developments in health policy, and multidisciplinary theoretical developments. The articles in this issue urge an expansion and redirection of research effort in this field into two new areas. The first article examines the relationship between gender, control, and work stress. It is proposed that because the vast majority of studies have previously been performed on males, there is a growing need to examine the work organization conditions of females. The second article discusses the need for a further expansion of knowledge concerning the underlying pathobiological mechanisms that link work stress exposure to chronic illness, and presents a biologically based model of the impact of exposure to low work control conditions on neuroendocrine response patterns. Finally, concluding comments concerning the Special Section are made.