Psychosocial intervention role on musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33024/min.v9i8.4433
Musculoskeletal Disorders Occupational Health Psychosocial Intervention
Abstract
Background: Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders remain as a major global occupational health problem, with growing evidence indicating that controlling psychosocial factors in the workplace are important determinants alongside biomechanical exposures.
Purpose: To synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in preventing and managing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among worker populations.
Method: A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Science Direct for randomized controlled trials or intervention studies published in English within the last ten years. Six studies met the inclusion criteria.
Results: The population involving nurses, healthcare workers, slaughterhouse workers, assembly-line workers, and hospital orderlies. Interventions included work-related psychosocial coaching combined with physiotherapy, workplace physical exercise incorporating group participation and motivational coaching, social cognitive theory-based ergonomic education, and multifaceted participatory ergonomics programs combining physical, psychosocial, and case-management components. Workplace exercise performed collectively with colleagues consistently improved vitality, social climate, and pain-related coping compared with individual or home-based approaches, while multicomponent programs integrating participatory ergonomics and psychosocial support reduced neck, shoulder, and upper-back pain prevalence. Standalone psychosocial coaching produced only modest long-term benefits when not paired with organizational-level change.
Conclusion: Overall, this review indicates that psychosocial interventions contribute meaningfully to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders prevention and management, particularly when embedded within multicomponent programs that combine physical, psychosocial, and organizational elements, supporting the biopsychosocial model as a framework for future workplace intervention design.
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