Different approaches and their consequences for addressing the occupational health and safety of young workers: A systematic narrative literature review.
Gilles Descloux, Mathilde Romanens, Nadia Lamamra and 1 others
PMID 40275707WHAT IT FOUND
Most research on young workers' safety focuses on individual biology, ignoring workplace organisation.
Social support and employment status strongly influence injury and mental health. Therapists should assess working conditions and job type, not just age or risk-taking, when treating young apprentices.
Key findings
01The majority of studies on young workers' occupational health use medical and epidemiological approaches, focusing on individual factors rather than organisational ones.
02Social support from supervisors and colleagues is a key factor linked to reduced psychological distress and fewer work-related accidents, yet it is often overlooked in favour of individual risk factors.
03Employment status, such as being an apprentice versus an unskilled worker, significantly affects exposure to risks and health outcomes, but this distinction is frequently blurred in research.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review excluded studies not in French, German, or English, potentially missing relevant literature from other regions. The category 'young workers' (15-24 years) is heterogeneous, mixing adolescents and emerging adults with different developmental stages. Most included studies were quantitative and medical, potentially underrepresenting the complex social and organisational drivers of health outcomes. The review did not perform a meta-analysis, so it cannot provide pooled effect sizes for specific interventions.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of focus on organisational factors in the literature as evidence that they are unimportant. The review highlights that most existing research is biased towards individual medical explanations, so the absence of data on workplace organisation reflects a research gap, not a lack of effect.