New research targets psychosocial risks across Australian workplaces

Researchers are developing two new tools designed to assess psychosocial hazards in Australian workplaces, as organisations face increasing scrutiny over psychological health and safety.

Psychosocial hazards are workplace factors that have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm. These can include elements of job design, workplace environments, organisational practices, and workplace interactions and behaviours.

The research focuses on the development of the Australian Psychosocial Index (API) and the Australian Psychosocial Scanning Tool (API-ST).

The project is being led by Professor Paula Brough and involves Professor Ashlea Troth and Dr Wendy Muller from Griffith University's Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW).

Tool development

The Australian Psychosocial Index is being developed as a self-report measure that assesses workers' perceptions of the 17 psychosocial hazards identified in Australian legislation.

Researchers are validating the hazards against established psychological measures as part of the development process.

Professor Brough said many organisations were seeking practical ways to identify psychosocial risks.

“Workplaces are increasingly aware of their responsibilities to manage psychosocial hazards, but many are still looking for reliable ways to understand where risks exist and how best to address them.”

“Our goal is to provide organisations with robust, scientifically validated tools that can help them identify potential psychosocial risks early, benchmark their results, and make informed decisions that support both worker wellbeing and organisational performance.”

Emerging hazards

The research project is also examining three workplace factors that are not currently recognised as psychosocial hazards in legislation: artificial intelligence, digital work, and climate-related hazards.

According to the research team, these areas are becoming increasingly relevant as workplaces adapt to technological and environmental changes.

“The nature of work is changing rapidly. New technologies, increasing digital demands, and the impacts of climate change are creating workplace pressures that we need to understand and measure effectively,” Professor Brough said.

“By investigating these emerging hazards now, we’re helping organisations prepare for future workforce challenges while contributing to the evidence base that informs policy and practice.”

Organisational review

The Australian Psychosocial Scanning Tool is being developed to assess organisational practices and systems related to psychosocial risk management.

The tool is intended for workplace leaders, business owners, human resources professionals, and workplace health and safety personnel.

Researchers said the API and API-ST are designed to be used together, providing information on both employee perceptions of psychosocial hazards and organisational approaches to managing them.

Both tools are expected to be released in late 2026 following pilot testing and validation studies.