Theoretical and methodological aspects of the research on mental health and work: reflections from a comparative analysis of stress in journalists and city police officers

Abstract

This article is concerned with theoretical and methodological aspects of the research on mental health and work. This investigation is done by a comparative analysis of the impact of the stress in journalists and in city police officers. We make explicit and analyze the theoretical system of references, the projects and research proceedings that we made use of in the analysis of stress acting on both professional occupations. We argue that the methodologies and the theoretical visions of psychopathology and of work psychodynamics characterize these areas as critical and interdisciplinary proposals, liable to produce transformations in the pathogenic aspects of management and work organization, as well they are able to link with the theoretical system of references of the historical and dialectical materialism and with the perspective of the researches that points to action.