The discussion regarding stress at work and stress-related problems has been intensified during recent years in the whole industrialized world [1]. In Sweden, the national surveys have shown that psychological demand levels at work were stable during the 1970s and 1980s. From the beginning of the 1990s, however, the levels have been increasing. Towards the end of the 1990s, the surveys have also shown decreasing decision latitude for the average worker [2]. Sweden is part of the western hemisphere in which globalization and information technology have changed the conditions for the workers. Our country is of particular interest internationally, however, because our perspective on structure change and financial crisis has been relatively short since our societal crisis is a phenomenon that is unusually well defined in time. During decades up to the late 1980s, our national policy contributed to a high participation in the labor market for men as well as for women. Occupational health care received substantialgovernmental support. Our exchange with international money markets was relatively limited. During the late 1980s, our taxation system was changed, our stock market was opened to international exchange, the unemployment rate rose from a previous average of 3% to a relatively constant level of 10% during most of the 1990s, the governmental support to occupational health care was withdrawn and our social security systems deteriorated at the same time [3].
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