Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book first provides readers with an international perspective on the causes of stress. Second, it provides perspectives on workload and work demand and stress and discusses their usefulness in analyzing the causes of stress. Third, the chapter presents case studies that demonstrate the application of stress analyses in a number of different settings. Few books on work stress have seriously examined stress in the context of older workers, transitions into retirement, and other important life roles. The experience of being a caregiver and decisions to retire are looked at within the framework of work stress. The chapter looks at the relationship between work and home and discusses work stress and caregiver stress. Recently, attention has been paid to the caregiving role at home for older workers.