When a person goes to work, it is difficult for him to leave behind his personality, expectations, and personal as well as family problems. Based on the observations made by certain authors who have examined this question, we can identify various factors that predispose individuals to mental health problems and other factors that help to reduce their occurrence

Negative affect or neuroticism is a stable personality trait characterized by a sensitivity to negative stimuli. Individuals who have personalities characterized by strong negative affect are likely to experience emotions such as sadness, anxiety, guilt and hostility. The trait of neuroticism can be seen as ranging along a continuum going from emotional instability to emotional stability. These individuals also tend to feel negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and anger. They are also likely to interpret a stressful situation as being threatening and tend to act impulsively.

When they perceive a situation in the workplace as being unfair or inequitable, they are more likely to want to quit their job, are more mistrustful of their superior and less committed to their organization than their peers with less negative affect. It also seems that more pessimistic individuals adopt ineffective stress management strategies, such as superstitious behaviour, mental and behavioural withdrawal, escape to a fantasy world, passivity and blame.

Type A individuals are considered to be competitive, highly ambitious and impatient and seem to have a strong need to maintain control, even over things that are uncontrollable. They are described in the literature as being perfectionists who are highly devoted to and involved in their work. They have a continuous need to outdo themselves and have a tendency to establish (for themselves and for others) goals that are too high in relation to their capabilities, which often causes them to feel disappointed and dissatisfied at work. 

Conversely, type B individuals tend to be patient, laid-back and not very competitive. Several studies have demonstrated a link between the type A personality and certain psychological (e.g., anxiety) and physical (cardio-vascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal) problems.

Hardiness has three characteristics. First, hardy individuals tend to be involved in activities and events and with co-workers. Thus, in a stressful situation, hardy individuals turn to the support of their co-workers to manage their stress. Second, they have the impression that they are in control of events, whether by acting directly on the stress factor or by interpreting it in such a way that it has less impact. Finally, hardy individuals tend to see changes as opportunities for personal development or challenges rather than as a threat to their security. They therefore prefer change over stability. Studies have shown that in general, a hardy personality helps to soften the effect of stress on the individual’s physical and mental health.

Individuals with a pessimistic attributional style tend to attribute their failures to internal, stable and global causes. For example, an employee may explain a failure in his work by saying that he is stupid. In this case, he attributes the failure to a cause that is internal (himself), stable (questioning his own intelligence) and global (since stupidity is likely to affect several areas of his life).

Conversely, individuals with an optimistic attributional style attribute their failures at work to a cause that is external (e.g., the task was difficult), unstable (it was a bad day) and specific (e.g., feeling less skilled in this type of task). The way of attributing the cause of a success or failure is important because it can have various psychological consequences-and-extent. For example, individuals who attribute their failures to their incompetence may experience a decrease in self-confidence and be demotivated in their work. Furthermore, individuals who do not feel that they have control over events will tend to feel discouraged, predisposing themselves to depression.

It is recognized that age and gender can influence psychological reactions. For example, studies show that the risk of suffering from major depression varies between 10% and 25% among women, as compared with between 5% and 12% for men. These gender differences are not necessarily due to biological conditions. In fact, there are large differences based on educational level as well as working and living conditions. Certain mental health problems also tend to appear at a certain age (e.g., on average, depression occurs at about age 35). However, it is difficult and complex to determine how age contributes to mental health problems.

Adjustment is a natural reaction on the part of individuals who want to protect themselves against excessive demands or a situation that is harmful to them. Some adjustment strategies are less appropriate than others. For example, certain individuals will try to decrease their psychological stress by consuming drugs or alcohol while others will try to manage their time better, solve their problems and express their needs.

Social support

According to certain studies, seeking social support is an effective adjustment strategy to reduce psychological tension and the risk of developing work-related mental health problems. In fact, it helps to lessen the harmful effects of stress on individuals. Family members, friends and co-workers can be an important source of moral support, practical help and confidence building for a person who is experiencing mental health problems.

Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps us to adapt to various work requirements. Conversely, having few interests outside of work, poor eating habits or a lack of exercise reduces a person's ability to cope with stress.