A methodological review of contemporary questionnaires to assess mental wellbeing at the workplace

Aim: The aim of this study is to provide a summarised overview of questionnaires used in contemporary research to map hazards in the psychosocial work environment. Method: The study was conducted as a methodological review. A comprehensive search was performed in PUBMED and Science Direct. Eligible studies from PUBMED included studies having the words Psychosocial and Work Environment as well as Questionnaire or Inventory in title or abstract. The period considered is October 1st 2014 till October 1st 2026 The search in Science Direct diverted slightly, but the results were similar to that of PUBMED. Results: In PUBMED, 360 results were extracted using the above described strategy. In 201 studies out of 360, corresponding to 56%, it was mentioned by name in the abstract or the title which questionnaire was used. The results showed that the questionnaire most often used in studies published on the topic of psychosocial work environment is The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. After this came less extensive, but very well theoretically founded, questionnaires, such as the Job Content Questionnaire and the Effort-Reward-Imbalance-Questionnaire. 34 different questionnaires fulfilled the criteria and are discussed in the text. Much of the theoretical base was the same across different questionnaires. Conclusion: The results can be interpreted as a general need to assess as many aspects of the psychosocial work environment as possible. This is a positive result in terms of sign of a general aspiration to improve the psychosocial working conditions.