In the period 1990-1999, NIOSH and the APA launched a series of initiatives to promote the new field of OHP. Four international conferences on work, stress and health were convened and the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology was founded in 1996. Of special importance, a program has been implemented to support both post-doctoral and graduate level training in OHP at major universities. These programs have strong interdepartmental linkages which expose psychology students to topics and methods in occupational safety and health, and provide opportunities for practica, or internships in actual workplaces. The core curricula in these training programs usually includes coursework addressing the following topics:
- Survey of occupational safety and health
- Job stress theory and mechanisms
- Organizational risk factors for occupational stress, injury, and illness.
- Health implications of stressful work, including physical and psychological health, and social and economic outcomes.
- Organizational interventions (e.g., work redesign) and programs (e.g., employee assistance programs, work-family programs) for reduction of occupational stress, illness and injury.
- Research methods and practices in public/occupational health and epidemiology.