The Rise of Mental Vulnerability at Work: A Socio-Historical and Cultural Analysis

Since the 1960s, a major mental health crisis has emerged among Western working populations. By analysing the development of various occupational cultures and using extensive data sources, this book captures the history of mental vulnerability in working life. Through a study spanning several decades, the book develops a new understanding of how mental vulnerability has evolved through changes to our working lives and socio-cultural being. It shows how our current knowledge about work, disability and the psyche is influenced by our time and provides intertwining conceptual frameworks and alternatives to current canonised knowledge about mental health in working life.

Ari Väänänen is Research Professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. He has worked in various research units in several countries and as Vising Professor at the University of Kent.