Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel found that a good relationship
with co-workers had an impact on mortality risk for people and was most
pronounced between the ages of 38 and 43.
"Peer social support, which
could represent how well a participant is socially integrated in his or her
employment context, is a potent predictor of the risk of all causes of
mortality," the researchers said in the study reported in the journal
Health Psychology, which is published by the American Psychological
Association.
Dr. Arie Shirom and her team studied the medical records of more
than 800 workers who had been followed for 20 years, from 1988 to 2008, and
questionnaires that measured job demands, control at work and peer and
supervisor support. Although complaining about the boss is a favorite work
topic, the study showed that having a supportive supervisor had no impact on
mortality.
The researchers also found a pronounced difference between the sexes
in the impact of having control and decision-making authority at work. It
increased the risk of mortality for women in the study, but had a protective
effect for men.
