<p>This study of staff in an NHS trust tests two established models of occupational stress. Payne (1979) suggested that support at work can help to neutralise the strain of work demands, while Karasek (1979) suggested that staff whose jobs are characterised by high demands and low control are at greater risk of poor psychological wellbeing and ill health. Support is found for both models, and it is suggested that the two could usefully be combined.</p>