Reducing stress within organizations requires vision, not short-term solutions | Anders Denken Podcast #36 with Christiaan Vinkers

In episode #36 of the Anders Denken Podcast, we speak with Christiaan Vinkers, psychiatrist, professor of Stress and Resilience at Amsterdam UMC, and project leader of DESTRESS. An in-depth conversation about stress in the workplace, mental health, and why simple solutions fall short when it comes to complex problems.

Stress: not too much, not too little

The image we have of stress often gets in our way. Stress is almost automatically seen as something negative, but according to Christiaan, this is unjustified. "Everyone who is alive experiences stress. That is normal and even necessary," he explains. Stress helps us to focus and get moving. Too little stress can lead to boredom and a loss of meaning, while too much stress causes disruption. The challenge lies in finding the right balance, which differs from person to person and from phase to phase in life.

In practice, the conversation these days is mainly about too much stress. Concepts such as stress, burnout symptoms, and exhaustion are now an integral part of organizations. Figures from TNO show that mental health-related absenteeism has increased in recent years, particularly among younger employees. Employers are looking for ways to get this under control.

Complexity requires cooperation

Work stress rarely arises from a single cause. Work pressure, autonomy, personal circumstances, leadership, and social developments constantly influence each other. According to Christiaan, it is therefore a misconception to approach stress exclusively as an individual problem. An effective approach requires cooperation between HR, occupational health and safety services, science, and healthcare, rather than separate initiatives that exist alongside each other.

Why isolated interventions are not enough

Many organizations respond to stress and absenteeism with ad hoc solutions: training, coaching, or vitality programs. These are well-intentioned, but often lack coherence or measurable impact. Christiaan advocates a long-term vision of mental health, combining prevention, early detection, leadership, and scientific evidence. It is precisely this integrated approach that is central to DESTRESS, the research project in which science and practice work together to better understand stress and resilience and make them measurable.

Measure to manage

"If you don't measure it, you don't know if it works." According to Christiaan, it is essential to map stress and resilience structurally and over time. Not to label people, but to gain insight, make adjustments, and invest in a targeted manner.

🎧 Curious about what organizations can do to reduce mental health-related absenteeism? Listen to episode #36 of the Anders Denken Podcast below.