APA Dictionary of Psychology

two longitudinal studies conducted with British civil servants to determine possible connections between social rank and mortality. The first study (Whitehall I) began in 1967 and ran for 10 years. The participants were 18,000 male civil servants between the ages of 20 and 64 years. Findings showed that lower level employees had a higher mortality rate than did employees in higher echelon jobs, even after controlling for standard risk factors (e.g., obesity, smoking). The second study (Whitehall II), beginning in 1985 and still ongoing, initially involved 6,895 men and 3,413 women between the ages of 35 and 55 years and was an attempt to determine the reason for the discrepancy in mortality rates found in Whitehall I. Whitehall II took an especially close look at psychosocial factors and socioeconomic status. The results replicated the finding of higher mortality for lower level workers. A lack of autonomy at work; stress; inadequate social support; generally worse health habits; and attitudes regarding work, stress, and health were found to contribute to this difference. The term Whitehall itself refers to a street in London where a number of government offices are headquartered; it is a metonym for the British civil service.