A recent study on job authority and health suggests that people at the top level are not only lonely, but being in this position also takes a toll on their physical and mental well-being.

Previous studies have shown that people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other ills, and die earlier, than those in higher-status positions. In particular, work with high demands but little to no decision-making power has been linked to poor health. Yet, job authority - which often goes hand-in-hand with higher status, more pay and greater independence - has generally shown no association with workers' health.

The latest findings suggest that the pros and cons of authority positions essentially cancel each other out - giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects. One way to view it is - were it not for their greater exposure to interpersonal conflict at work and work-to-home interference, individuals with higher levels of authority tend to report fewer physical symptoms, psychological distress or anger. This doesn’t suggest that having authority is bad - in fact, it has benefits. But it is important to identify the downsides and deal with them.

Researchers surveyed about 1800 American participants about various aspects of their work life and well-being. Job authority was gauged based on whether a person managed other employees and had power over hiring, firing and pay. Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, body aches, heartburn and fatigue; psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety.

It was found that the negative aspects of having a power position at work seemed to cancel out the positive aspects when it came to people's physical and psychological health. That is, while job authority generally meant higher pay and more engaging work - both associated with health benefits - people in these positions were also more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and to say that work intruded on their home life. And both of those factors were related to more health complaints and higher levels of anger. These are key stressors that can tax individuals' capacity to function effectively.