Substantial progress in documenting the role of psychosocial stress in the etiology and development of physical and mental disease has been made in the past 10 years. Although the exact mechanisms with which stress impacts health are not fully understood, it is thought that the negative emotional and cognitive effects of stress alter the immune response and increase susceptibility to disease. Stress is a common problem in work settings, and can lead to physical and psychological ill health; that stress is often determined by personal appraisals of work environment situations. The link between job characteristics, such as low level of control and work overload, to job stress is well established. Stress is costing companies substantial amounts of money in the terms of health care costs, productivity losses, and worker compensation claims. Increasingly, more and more companies are exploring ways to deal with occupational stress. The most common types of stress management strategies are progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback, meditation, and cognitive-behavioral skills training. Somatic methods seek to reduce arousal levels during stress (lower blood pressure, muscle activity, etc.), while cognitive methods seek to alter the thinking patterns and stress appraisal processes.