Arbeit, Stress und krankheitsbedingte Frührenten

How could Hans Castorp not respect work? But another question was whether he loved it: for he could not, and for the simple reason that it did not suit him. Strenuous work strained his nerves, soon exhausted him, and he openly admitted that he actually loved his free time much more. Hans Castorp, the hero of Thomas Mann's famous novel, was fortunate that he did not have to subject himself endlessly to the unloved, nerve-wracking work as a wealthy heir. Now, effort and exhaustion are by no means equivalent to health damage, but according to today's knowledge, certain forms of psychosocial work stress can indeed be seen as a danger, as they can provoke stress reactions in the body. This stress, in turn, can trigger illnesses. This book examines the connection between working conditions, stress, and health, specifically concerning the phenomenon of illness-related early retirement. This is intended both as a contribution to general research on work stress and as an understanding of the emergence of illness-related early retirement, which poses a significant burden on the affected individuals, companies, and the social system. This book originated as a doctoral thesis at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. This was only possible through the support of my two supervisors, Johannes Siegrist and Christoph Strünck, to whom I would like to express my heartfelt thanks.