Identifying patterns of recovery experiences and their links to psychological outcomes across one year

Stop (to Work) and Go (to Recover) During Mandatory Work From Home: A Three-Wave Study

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers have been forced to work from home. In this situation, the boundaries between work and private life have become particularly blurred, and recovering from work was even more difficult than in traditional times, with negative consequences for workers' health. Among the psychological experiences that might underlie the recovery process, mastery played a crucial role as people sought new stimuli and challenging situations. However, there are few articles that have explored the role of this specific recovery experience, its antecedents, and the health consequences under conditions of work from home. Therefore, in this multiwave study, we aimed to investigate the role of mastery as a mediator between supervisor support and insomnia problems. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and had a three-wave design. A convenience sample of 130 employees (67% women) completed an online questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using a three-wave autoregressive cross-lagged panel model. According to the results, supervisor support at Time 1 was positively related to mastery at Time 2, which in turn showed a negative association with insomnia at Time 3. The results demonstrated that mastery experiences have played a crucial role during COVID-19 mandatory work from home, which points to some potential implications for workers' health in the adoption of teleworking beyond the emergency situation.

Team Self-Maintenance during Long-Duration Space Exploration: A Conceptual Framework

OBJECTIVE

We developed a conceptual framework of Team Self-Maintenance (TSM) within long-duration space exploration (LDSE), which we define as the process of monitoring, adjusting, and maintaining the psychological well-being of a team in the absence of external support.

BACKGROUND

Specific to LDSE and isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environments, periods of routine can have a debilitating effect on the crew's well-being and performance, and TSM is a critical process for avoiding these detrimental effects.

METHOD

Based on themes drawn from nine subject matter expert interviews combined with an extensive literature review on related concepts, we developed an integrative conceptual framework of the key inputs, processes, and outputs involved in TSM within LDSE contexts.

RESULTS

Our TSM framework suggests team well-being as a key outcome that must be maintained during LDSE and information sharing, self-regulation, resource recovery, and emotional support as the key processes that enable team well-being. We also identify several contextual inputs that can serve as intervention points for enabling effective TSM.

CONCLUSION

Our framework suggests that future research and practice aimed at effective LDSE should emphasize team well-being, rather than just performance, and that there are many open questions in terms of how teams will manage their own socio-emotional needs (e.g., conflict, recovery activities, and boredom) without external systems and support.

APPLICATION

This conceptual framework describes the primary inputs, processes, and outcomes involved in the team self-maintenance process. This framework reflects context-specific theorizing most likely to be applicable only to LDSE contexts.

Longitudinal Profiles of Recovery-Enhancing Processes: Job-Related Antecedents and Well-Being Outcomes

The present study aimed to examine longitudinal recovery profiles based on three recovery-enhancing processes, i.e., psychological detachment from work, physical exercise, and sleep. In addition, we examined whether job-related demands and resources predict profile membership and whether profile membership predicts well-being outcomes. The participants were Finnish employees (N = 664) who filled in an electronic questionnaire in three successive years. Latent profile analysis (LPA) revealed five stable profiles of recovery-enhancing processes across time: (1) physically inactive, highly detaching (15%), (2) impaired recovery processes (19%), (3) enhanced recovery processes (25%), (4) physically active, poorly detaching and sleeping (19%), and (5) physically active (29%). In addition, job-related antecedents and well-being outcomes showed unique differences between the five profiles identified. Altogether, our study takes recovery research a step forward in helping to understand how recovery-enhancing processes function simultaneously over the long-term and suggests that, from the perspective of well-being, detachment from work and good sleep are more crucial recovery processes than physical activity.

The Depleting and Buffering Effects of Telecommuting on Wellbeing: Evidence From China During COVID-19

Meta-analytical research has demonstrated the benefits brought by telecommuting to wellbeing. However, we argue that such a setup in the course of the coronavirus disease pandemic exerts negative effects. On the basis of conservation of resources theory, this study determined how telecommuting depletes wellbeing (defined by job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion) through obstructing psychological detachment from work. Moreover, we incorporated family interfering with work and family–work enrichment as moderators that can buffer the negative effect of telecommuting on psychological detachment from work. Time-lagged field research was conducted with 350 Chinese employees, and findings largely supported our theoretical hypotheses. The elevated level of telecommuting results in minimal psychological detachment from work, which then leads to low wellbeing. Meanwhile, the negative effect of the extent of telecommuting on psychological detachment from work is reduced by family interfering with work. These findings extend the literature on telecommuting and psychological detachment from work through revealing why teleworkers present negative feelings during the pandemic.

Psychosocial Work Stress and Health Risks – A Cross-Sectional Study of Shift Workers From the Hotel and Catering Industry and the Food Industry

Purpose

Psychosocial work stress, and shift and night work are considered risk indicators for impaired health. Using the effort-reward (ER) model, it was possible to examine which relationships exist for shift workers between clusters (CL) of different levels of psychosocial work stress and overcommitment (OC) and cardiovascular or psychological health indicators, and which predictive value is evident in individual health indicators to explain the clusters.

Methods

The data were collected as part of an occupational health prevention program. The analysis sample consisted of 199 shift workers from alternating shift systems with and without night work (43%) (average age: 40 ± 12 years, men: 47%). Psychosocial work stress was recorded using the ER imbalance (ERI) questionnaire. To determine the clusters, ERI and OC were entered into a cluster analysis. Blood pressure, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, PROCAM score (risk of a heart attack within the next 10 years), sporting activity, and smoking were included as cardiovascular indicators, psychological wellbeing (GHQ-12) and inability to recovery (IR) (FABA) as psychological health indicators. Shift system, sex, and age were entered into the statistical analyses as control variables. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify health-related predictors to explain the ER-OC clusters.

Results

Three different ER-OC clusters emerged: low-stress: 36%, normal: 44%, risk: 20%. While normal psychosocial work stress is present in the low-stress and the normal CL, in the risk CL 28% of the shift workers show a health-endangering ERI and 48% show an excessive OC. No significant cluster-specific differences were determined for the cardiovascular health indicators. Rather, the known sex and age effects were confirmed and the shift system had no significant effect. Significantly more shift workers in the risk CL had impaired psychological health (18 vs. 1/6%) and an IR (52 vs. 0/12%) than in the low-stress and normal CL. IR turned out to be the strongest predictor of the explanation for the ER-OC clusters (49%).

Conclusion

IR could be assigned an independent diagnostic value for the assessment of psychosocial work stresses and discussed as a new component of occupational health screening concepts for shift workers. Independently of this, the health indicators signal an urgent need for occupational health prevention and care.

Prediction of emotional exhaustion over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in primary care dental staff: an intensive longitudinal study

Objective

To investigate the fatigue trajectory during a 6-month duration of the COVID-19 pandemic for dental health professionals in primary dental care and for those in training.

Design

A longitudinal intensive panel diary was conducted (July–December 2020) assessing weekly self-ratings of emotional fatigue.

Setting

Dental care services in Scotland.

Participants

Dental trainees and primary dental care staff (N=53). These data were merged with respondents’ replies to a cross-sectional baseline survey (Humphris et al). Recruitment was through ‘Portal’, an online tool administered by National Health Service Education for Scotland. Questback software was employed for data collection.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The diary questionnaire, consisted of a three-item fatigue scale and, from the baseline survey, three multi-item scales including: preparedness (14 items of the Dental Professional Preparedness for Practice Scale), the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised and depressive symptomatology using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Statistical analysis included estimating the variability of fatigue over the study duration using a multilevel linear growth model. In addition, a path analysis was performed to determine the ability of preparedness and COVID-19 pandemic trauma to predict fatigue trajectories directly, or mediated through depressive symptomatology.

Results

A large variation of fatigue trajectories (p<0.001) was found from staff who completed a mean of 11 weekly uploads of their diary (diary uploads: minimum 4–maximum 24). The average slope was positive (standardised estimate=0.13, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.19, p<0.001). Slope variation was modelled successfully from baseline data showing direct and indirect effects from preparedness, trauma and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

Staff who volunteered to participate over a significant period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland displayed a highly significant variety of individual trajectories. The results show some consistency with a job demands-resources model of burnout development. Suitable resource structures are indicated for staff over periods of extensive public service change.

Recovery Experience: A Concept for Maintaining Quality of Life and Its Mediating Effect Among Female Nurses in China

Purpose

Nurses are high-risk groups for job burnout, which affect their quality of life (QOL). Recovery experience, a conceptualization of positive psychological resources, can combat the negative impacts of job burnout on health and QOL. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of recovery experience on the relationship between job burnout and QOL among female nurses in China.

Participants and Methods

QOL information was captured from 1068 female nurses from December 2017 to February 2018 in tertiary hospitals in Shenyang, Liaoning Province of China. A structural equation model was employed to examine the mediating effect of recovery experience on the relationship between job burnout and QOL.

Results

Job burnout had a significant impact on both the mental component summary and the physical component summary of a 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. However, mental component summary scores were significantly lower than physical component summary scores in female nurses. Recovery experience played a mediating role in the relationship between job burnout and QOL.

Conclusion

Job burnout could result in a reduction in QOL among Chinese female nurses. Recovery experience, as a mediating factor, could alleviate the impact of job burnout on QOL. Recovery experience should be strengthened to attenuate job burnout and enhance QOL.

Cultural leisure activities, recovery and work engagement among hospital employees

This study explored the relationship between cultural leisure activities, recovery experiences and two outcomes among hospital workers. The differences in recovery experiences (detachment, relaxation, mastery and control) and outcomes (work engagement and subjective recovery state) among hospital personnel (N=769) were analysed by the type (receptive or creative) and frequency of cultural activities. The cross-sectional data were collected by a digital questionnaire. Employees who reported both receptive and creative cultural leisure activities on a weekly basis had the highest relaxation, mastery and control experiences during off-job time. In addition, those with weekly creative activities had beneficial mastery experiences. There were no differences in recovery outcomes after adjustment for age, except in work engagement. Cultural leisure activities, and creative activities in particular, play an important role in certain aspects of recovery.

Job characteristics, burnout and the relationship with recovery experiences

Orientation: Job characteristics (consisting of job demands and job resources) have an impact on burnout. However, it is unclear whether recovery strategies might influence this relationship amongst staff members at a tertiary education institution in South Africa.Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether recovery strategies influence and moderate the relationship between job demands, job resources and burnout. Motivation for the study: Recovery strategies may influence and buffer the negative effects of job demands on burnout and may influence and enhance the positive influence of job resources on burnout. Research approach, design and method: Cross-sectional data was collected amongst employees at a tertiary education institution (N = 366).Main findings: The results of the structural equation modelling revealed significant positive relationships between work pressure, emotional demands and a lack of social support with burnout. Also, work pressure was related to all four recovery strategies and different job resources were associated with different recovery strategies. Finally, mastery experiences were the only recovery strategy that significantly predicted burnout. Practical/managerial implications: Employees are encouraged to engage in recovery strategies that will reduce their burnout levels, especially mastery experiences. Contribution/value-add: This study adds to the body of literature on effort recovery in South Africa. Very little empirical research has been done in South Africa regarding the use and benefits of different recovery strategies. Recommendations for future research are made.

Work-Related Smartphone Use and Well-Being in the Evening

Recent research has revealed that use of smartphones for work in the evening is associated with lower well-being. In this study, based on self-determination theory, we examined the role of autonomous and controlled motivation for well-being in the evening. Hierarchical regression analyses using data from 1,714 working individuals revealed that work-related smartphone usage in the evening was positively related to psychological detachment, but unrelated to recovery and negative affect, and negatively related to positive affect. Autonomous motivation for smartphone usage in the evening was positively related to recovery, psychological detachment, and positive affect. Controlled motivation was significantly related to positive and negative affect in the expected direction. These results indicate that the motivation behind individuals’ smartphone use in the evening matters for their well-being.

Job characteristics, recovery experiences and occupational well-being: testing cross-lagged relationships across 1 year

The aim of the present study conducted among 274 Finnish employees was to examine the relationships between job characteristics, recovery experiences and occupational well-being across 1 year. We hypothesized that these relationships would follow normal causation, that is, job characteristics at T1 predict recovery experiences (detachment, relaxation, mastery and control at off-job time) and well-being (fatigue at work and work engagement) at T2, and recovery experiences at T1 predict well-being at T2. The structural equation modelling analyses lent support to the hypothesized normal causation model compared with the reversed causation and reciprocal models. However, only the longitudinal relationships between job characteristics and recovery experiences were significant. More specifically, high job demands at T1 predicted poor detachment, relaxation and control during off-job time at T2; and high job resources at T1 predicted high mastery experiences in off-job time at T2. Thus, our study showed that job demands in particular inhibited recovery experiences in the long term, but this was not reflected in employee well-being across 1 year.

Comparison between the first and second versions of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire: psychosocial risk factors for a high need for recovery after work

PURPOSE: The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ I) was developed as a tool to assess a broad range of psychosocial work environment factors and was recently revised (COPSOQ II). The research question in this study was: Do COPSOQ II-scales predict a high need for recovery (NFR) after work better than COPSOQ I-scales? METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in 990 subjects (84.5% response), employed in the public sector. Psychosocial factors were assessed by COPSOQ I and COPSOQ II. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios for the presence of a high NFR, controlled for gender, age, physical workload and other relevant occupational and non-occupational factors. Analyses were performed for COPSOQ I and COPSOQ II separately. RESULTS: In both COPSOQ versions, 'quantitative demands' (p < 0.001) and 'job insecurity' (p < 0.005) were significantly associated with a high NFR. Additionally, in the COPSOQ I model, 'demands for hiding emotions' (p < 0.05) and 'degrees of freedom' (p < 0.05), and in the COPSOQ II model 'emotional demands' (p < 0.05) and 'commitment to the workplace' (p < 0.005) were significant as well. 'Degrees of freedom' was omitted by the developers in the revised COPSOQ II. Reintroducing it into the COPSOQ II model did not alter the existing associations, but pointed out 'degrees of freedom' to be an additional important dimension (p < 0.05). The COPSOQ II model with 'degrees of freedom' included also had the best data fit. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested the COPSOQ II to be better predictive than COPSOQ I for a high NFR, but also indicated that 'degrees of freedom' should be included into the COPSOQ II when studying the NFR as outcome parameter.