As the country continues to face the opioid crisis, how can employers join the effort to address this issue? Researchers at the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace suggest in a recent study that changes to the work environment can help reduce opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD) among workers.
Published in the American Journal for Public Health, the study identified two broad pathways through which work can result in opioid use: 1) work-related pain and discomfort or 2) other work-related stressors. Work-related pain and discomfort can result from a work accident or long-term, repetitive movements. Other work-related stressors include anxiety and depression from unmanageable work demands or job insecurity.