Psychosocial Work Environment, Occupational Stress, and Health Risk Profiling Among Rotational Workers at a Mining...

Background: Occupational health risk assessment in industrial enterprises has traditionally focused on physical, chemical, and ergonomic hazards, while psychosocial working conditions have often been assessed separately from routine occupational surveillance. The aim of this study was to examine whether integrating working conditions, the psychosocial work environment, occupational stress, and temporary disability indicators provide a more informative health risk profile in an industrial setting. Methods: An analytical observational study was conducted at a mining and processing enterprise in Kazakhstan. This study used three data sources: 5429 temporary disability records for 2020-2024, workplace assessments covering 188 job positions, and psychosocial survey data from 392 employees. Occupational stress was evaluated in annual PSS-25 screening waves conducted in 2023 (n = 133), 2024 (n = 133), and 2025 (n = 134). The author-developed psychosocial questionnaire showed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.82). Results: During the five-year period, 4971 eligible temporary disability episodes and 61,472 lost workdays were recorded. Psychosocial profiles were less favorable in production units than in administration, and mean PSS-25 values remained relatively stable across the years. The Integral Index of Working Conditions (Iwc) was positively associated with temporary disability indicators and occupational stress, whereas the Integral Health Index (Ihr) was inversely associated with psychosocial well-being. Conclusions: The findings suggest that occupational risk assessment remains incomplete when psychosocial factors are excluded or treated separately. Integrating hygienic, psychosocial, stress-related, and medical-statistical indicators may improve the prioritization of preventive measures and support healthier workplace management in industrial enterprises.