Psychosocial Workload and Multidimensional Fatigue in Computer-Intensive Office Work: An Integrative Review of Scientific Literature

Abstract

Computer-intensive office work is increasingly shaped by digitalization, hybrid work arrangements, and rising cognitive demands, which elevate psychosocial risks and may contribute to multidimensional fatigue. This study aimed to synthesize scientific evidence on psychosocial workload and multidimensional fatigue in computer-intensive office work through an integrative review. A PRISMA-guided search and selection process was applied across major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Wiley Online Library, Springer), using combinations of keywords related to workload, psychosocial factors, computer work, cognitive strain, and fatigue. Peer-reviewed English-language full-text studies from the last 15 years were included. The reviewed literature consistently links high job demands, time pressure, low job control, limited social support, role ambiguity, and technostress to increased work-related fatigue—most strongly to mental and emotional fatigue, with downstream effects on concentration, recovery (including sleep disturbances), productivity, presenteeism, and error likelihood. Evidence also indicates that psychosocial risks interact with ergonomic exposures (prolonged sitting, static postures, inadequate workstations, insufficient breaks), amplifying musculoskeletal complaints and reinforcing fatigue-related impairments. Overall, psychosocial workload in computer-intensive office settings is a robust correlate of multidimensional fatigue, while the predominance of cross-sectional designs highlights the need for more causal, confounder-controlled research and targeted intervention evaluation.

Keywords: Psychosocial Risks, Office Work, Fatigue, Workload, Ergonomics

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007937