Do burnout and work engagement predict depressive symptoms and life satisfaction? A three-wave seven-year prospective study

Correlates of burnout and dropout intentions in medical students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Burnout is a pervasive issue among medical students, exhibiting a high prevalence that jeopardizes their academic success and may also predispose them to more severe affective disorders such as depression. This study aims to explore the complex relationships between psychological capital (PsyCap), general social support, educational satisfaction, and burnout, and how these factors collectively influence dropout intentions.

METHODS

A non-probabilistic convenience sample was collected through an online survey from first- and second-year medical students at a Faculty of Medicine in Portugal. The survey employed psychometric instruments to measure burnout (BAT-12), social support (F-SozU K-6), PsyCap (CPC-12R), satisfaction with education, and dropout intentions (Screening Instrument for Students At-Risk of Dropping Out). Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data from 351 participants.

RESULTS

The model demonstrated a significant positive association between burnout and dropout intentions (β̂ = 0.37; p < 0.001), underscoring burnout as a direct correlate of dropout intentions alongside educational satisfaction (β̂ = -0.25; p = 0.003) and PsyCap (β̂ = -0.22; p = 0.005). Higher social support is associated with reduced burnout (β̂ = -0.28; p < 0.001) and increased educational satisfaction (β̂ = 0.22; p = 0.002).

LIMITATIONS

The non-probabilistic sampling method prevents the generalization of the findings. The cross-sectional data do not permit the inference of temporal relationships between the studied variables.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings emphasize the importance that burnout may have on dropout intentions, and contribute to the understanding of affective syndromes such as burnout in educational settings.

Extending the job demands-resources model to understand the effect of the interactions between home and work domains on work engagement

Scholars have extensively used the job demands-resources model to explain the dynamics underlying work engagement and proposed several versions of the model. However, in theoretical terms, nonwork elements have not been incorporated into the model. This study investigated the roles of home demands and resources in the model by testing the boost/buffer hypotheses for work engagement from the perspective of the work-home interface. We demonstrated that (1) the demands of a domain boost the positive impact of resources drawn from another domain on work engagement, (2) the resources of a domain buffer the negative impact of demands derived from another domain on work engagement; and (3) the buffering and boosting effects of home demands and resources impact work engagement. We conducted a diary study on a group of coffee shop employees in Ireland. The results partially supported the proposed hypotheses but nevertheless indicated support for the cross-domain boost/buffer hypotheses with regard to work engagement. The proposed model may serve as a theoretical foundation for research on issues related to the impact of work and nonwork domains on work engagement.

Strain and serenity: exploring the interplay of stress, burnout, and well-being among healthcare professionals

Introduction

Stress and burnout can negatively affect performance, mental health, and the overall well-being of healthcare workers. The study aims to examine the prevalence of stress and burnout, and investigate links between stress, burnout, mental state, and well-being among healthcare workers in the Czech Republic.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Czech Republic, focusing on healthcare professionals working in various healthcare settings. A total of 1,064 healthcare workers participated in the study. A standardized questionnaire battery was used, consisting of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Supso-7 measuring mental state. Separate correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted.

Results

46.24% of the healthcare workers reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, 25.56% reported high levels of depersonalization, 24.15% reported low levels of personal accomplishment, while 11.18% reported high levels of perceived stress. The findings revealed that emotional exhaustion, a core component of burnout, was associated with increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Perceived stress was also linked to anxiety and depression, while personal accomplishment appeared to mitigate depression and support positive psychological well-being.

Conclusion

The study provides promising evidence suggesting that addressing stress and emotional exhaustion, while fostering a sense of personal achievement, could lead to improvements in the mental health and work performance of healthcare workers. These findings highlight the importance of addressing burnout and stress management strategies to support the overall well-being of healthcare professionals.

Feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a positive emotion regulation intervention to promote resilience for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Burnout poses a substantial, ongoing threat to healthcare worker (HCW) wellbeing and to the delivery of safe, quality healthcare. While systemic and organization-level changes in healthcare are critically important, HCWs also need individual-level skills to promote resilience. The objective of this trial is to test feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of PARK, an online self-guided positive affect regulation intervention, in a sample of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In the context of the unprecedented rise in burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a randomized waitlist-controlled trial of the Positive Affect Regulation sKills (PARK) program-a five-week, online, self-guided coping skills intervention nested within an ongoing cohort of HCWs. N = 554 healthcare workers were randomly assigned to receive the intervention immediately or to receive the intervention after approximately 12 weeks. Outcomes included change in burnout, emotional wellbeing (positive affect, meaning and purpose, depression, anxiety) and sleep over approximately 12 weeks. Analyses included mixed-effects linear regression models comparing change over time in outcomes between intervention and control conditions.

RESULTS

One third (n = 554) of the participants in the cohort of HCWs consented to participate and enrolled in PARK in April 2022. Compared to those who did not enroll, participants in the trial reported higher burnout, poorer emotional wellbeing, and poorer sleep at baseline (April, 2022; all ps < .05). Intent-to-treat analyses showed that participants randomly assigned to the intervention immediately (PARK-Now) improved significantly on anxiety (within-group change on PROMIS T-score = -0.63; p = .003) whereas those in the waitlist (PARK-Later) did not (within group T-score change 0.04, p = 0.90). The between-group difference in change, however, was not statistically significant (B = -0.67 p = 0.10). None of the other wellbeing outcomes changed significantly in the intervention group compared to the waitlist. Additional as-treated analyses indicated that those participants who completed all 5 of the weekly online lessons (N = 52; 9.4%) improved significantly more on the primary outcome of positive affect compared to those who enrolled in PARK but completed zero lessons (n = 237; 42.8%; B = 2.85; p = .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Online self-guided coping skills interventions like PARK can be effective in targeted samples and future work will focus on adaptations to increase engagement and tailor PARK for HCWs who could most benefit.

The role of health demands, health resources, and adaptability in psychological strain and life satisfaction

The present study harnessed job demands-resources theory to identify key predictors of psychological strain (feeling overwhelmed by one's problems) and life satisfaction among a sample of 1060 adults randomly selected from the Australian electoral roll. The investigation sought to ascertain: (a) the relative contribution of health demands (e.g., inadequate health treatment) and health resources (e.g., access to helpful health-related information) in predicting psychological strain and life satisfaction, (b) the extent to which a recently proposed personal resource-adaptability-explained variance in wellbeing beyond individuals' health demands and resources, and (c) the role of psychological strain in predicting life satisfaction in the context of these demands and resources. Applying structural equation modelling we found that contextual health demands predicted greater psychological strain, individual health resources and adaptability both predicted lower psychological strain and greater life satisfaction, and psychological strain predicted lower life satisfaction. Notably, the adverse effects of health demands reduced significantly when health resources and adaptability were entered into the modelling. Taken together, the findings offer support for a health demands-resources framework that may be applied to better support individuals to respond to the stressors in their lives and in turn boost their sense of subjective wellbeing.

Burnout and depression in college students

Research on burnout has garnered considerable attention since its inception. However, the ongoing debate persists regarding the conceptual model of burnout and its relationship with depression. Thus, we conducted a network analysis to determine the dimensional structure of burnout and the burnout-depression overlap. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to measure burnout and depression among 1096 college students. We constructed networks for burnout, depression, and a burnout-depression co-occurrence network. The results showed that cynicism symptom was the most central to the burnout network. In the co-occurrence network, depressive symptoms ("anhedonia", "fatigue") and burnout symptom ("doubting the significance of studies") were the most significant in causing burnout-depression comorbidity. Community detection revealed three communities within burnout symptoms, aligning closely with their three dimensions identified through factor analysis. Additionally, there was no overlap between burnout and depression. In conclusion, our findings support a multidimensional structure of burnout, affirming it as a distinct concept separate from depression. Cynicism, rather than exhaustion, plays the most important role in burnout and the burnout-depression comorbidity.

Beyond Work: The Role of "Family-Friendly" Practices in the Subjective Well-Being of Teleworkers and On-Site Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telework emerged as a pivotal strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus. However, telework's feasibility was contingent on job roles. This gave rise to two distinct groups: teleworkers and on-site workers. However, the impacts of social support and well-being extended to both groups. This study investigated the link between organisational and supervisory family support and subjective well-being, examining work engagement as a mediator. Conducted in Portugal, this cross-sectional study surveyed 515 individuals via web-based questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple-group analysis. The findings revealed a positive correlation between perceived organisational family support (POFS) and work engagement for both groups. Additionally, perceived supervisory family support (PSFS) positively correlated with work engagement for telecommuters but not on-site workers. Furthermore, work engagement was positively associated with subjective well-being for both groups. Moreover, work engagement mediated the relationship between POFS and subjective well-being. This study enriches the literature by analysing POFS, PSFS, work engagement, and subjective well-being dynamics among teleworkers and on-site employees.

The importance of creating the right conditions for group intervision sessions among medical residents- a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The burnout rates among residents urge for adequate interventions to improve resilience and prevent burnout. Peer reflection, also called group intervision sessions, is a potentially successful intervention to increase the resilience of young doctors. We aimed to gain insight into the perceived added value of intervision sessions and the prerequisite conditions to achieve this, according to residents and intervisors. Our insights might be of help to those who think of implementing intervision sessions in their institution.

METHODS

An explorative, qualitative study was performed using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with both residents (n = 8) and intervisors (n = 6) who participated in intervision sessions in a university medical center in the Netherlands. The topic list included the perceived added value of intervision sessions and factors contributing to that. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using NVivo. Thematic analysis was subsequently performed.

RESULTS

According to residents and intervisors, intervision sessions contributed to personal and professional identity development; improving collegiality; and preventing burn-out. Whether these added values were experienced, depended on: (1) choices made during preparation (intervisor choice, organizational prerequisites, group composition, workload); (2) conditions of the intervision sessions (safety, depth, role of intervisor, group dynamics, pre-existent development); and (3) the hospital climate.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervision sessions are perceived to be of added value to the identity development of medical residents and to prevent becoming burned out. This article gives insight in conditions necessary to reach the added value of intervision sessions. Optimizing preparation, meeting prerequisite conditions, and establishing a stimulating hospital climate are regarded as key to achieve this.

Nurses quality of life, sleep disturbance, and intention to leave critical care units: A cross-sectional moderated mediation analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore the complex relationships between personal and demographic factors, intermediary factors such as quality of life (depression, anxiety, stress, burnout), and the mediating impact of sleep disturbance on nurses' intention to leave critical care units.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional quantitative survey.

SETTING

Data were collected from registered nurses at a major university hospital in southern Italy. Seven inpatient critical care units were sampled.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Intention to leave critical care units.

RESULTS

We included 160 participants recruited over five weeks in May and June 2023. The data showed that most were female, married, and possessed a bachelor's degree in nursing. The mean quality of life score was moderate, while stress, anxiety, and burnout were mild. A significant percentage of nurses reported poor sleep quality. Logistic regression indicates that service length did not significantly impact the intention to leave. The structural equation model showed that stress positively correlated with emotional exhaustion, whereas job quality was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and the intention to leave. Sleep disturbance did not explain the relationship between stress and emotional fatigue; however, the results revealed that male gender moderated sleep mediation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study investigated factors influencing intention to leave among critical care unit nurses. The results suggest that the role of sleep disturbance should always be considered when assessing the issue. In this chain of causes, sleep disturbance explains the relationship between stress and emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, the strength of this mediation was influenced by gender, particularly by the male gender.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Stress and emotional exhaustion significantly impact nurses' working quality of life, particularly when sleep quality is taken into account. This leads to a higher intention to leave critical care units. To reduce this tendency, healthcare managers could implement specific evidence-based interventions to promote a good climate of work, which would positively affect stress, emotional exhaustion and sleep disturbance. The likelihood of intention to leave decreased with achieving personal self-fulfilment among nurses.

How COVID-19 prevention burnout impacts emotional symptoms among Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model

The current study investigated the relationship between COVID-19 prevention burnout and emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety) among 1,837 Chinese college students and the underlying mechanisms. Results from moderated mediation analysis revealed that the association between COVID-19 prevention burnout and emotional symptoms was mediated by psychological inflexibility (β = 0.20, 95%CI = [0.10, 0.19]). Also, COVID-19 prevention burnout's direct and indirect effects on emotional symptoms were more substantial for students with high susceptibility to emotional contagion than those with low susceptibility. These findings contribute to understanding how COVID-19 prevention burnout relates to emotional symptoms and provide a new perspective for interventions promoting students' psychological flexibility, particularly those with higher susceptibility to emotional contagion.

The burnout-depression conundrum: investigating construct-relevant multidimensionality across four countries and four patient samples

This research seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the distinctive nature of burnout and depression. In a first study, we relied on employee samples from four European countries (N = 5199; 51.27% women; Mage = 43.14). In a second study, we relied on a large sample of patients (N = 5791; 53.70% women; Mage = 39.54) who received a diagnosis of burnout, depressive episode, job strain, or adaptation disorder. Across all samples and subsamples, we relied on the bifactor exploratory structural equation modelling to achieve an optimal disaggregation of the variance shared across our measures of burnout and depression from the variance uniquely associated with each specific subscale included in these measures. Our results supported the value of this representation of participants' responses, as well as their invariance across samples. More precisely, our results revealed a strong underlying global factor representing participants' levels of psychological distress, as well as the presence of equally strong specific factors supporting the distinctive nature of burnout and depression. This means that, although both conditions share common ground (i.e. psychological distress), they are not redundant. Interestingly, our results also unexpectedly suggested that suicidal ideation might represent a distinctive core component of depression.

Meaning matters: linking proactive vitality management to subjective well-being

Prior research has indicated that positive affect, energy, and vitality are positively related to subjective well-being. Unfortunately, most scholars have overlooked the possibility that individuals may proactively manage their energetic, affective, and cognitive resources to boost their subjective well-being. Grounded in social cognitive theory, the current research focuses on explaining why students' proactive vitality management (PVM) leads to positive outcomes (i.e., meaning in life, subjective well-being) and considers how school support climate moderates these effects. One experimental study (Study 1) and a three-wave lagged survey (Study 2) were conducted to examine the benefits of PVM. The results demonstrated that PVM was positively related to students' meaning in life, further promoting their subjective well-being. Moreover, school support climate accentuated PVM's effect on meaning in life and its indirect effect on subjective well-being via meaning in life. Implications for research and practice are also discussed, along with study limitations and future research directions.

Factors related to motivation, organisational climate and work engagement within the practice environment of nurse practitioners in the Netherlands

AIM

To explore motivation, organisational climate, work engagement and related factors within the practice environment of nurse practitioners.

BACKGROUND

Motivation in the workplace, organisational climate and work engagement are important to motivate nurse practitioners and prevent early exit. However, little is known about related factors.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design using a digital survey with multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Data were collected from 1 November 2019 to 30 March 2020.

METHODS

The survey contained demographic and job-related data, instruments on motivation in the workplace, organisational climate and work engagement. Three open-ended questions were added to invite respondents to tell about their next career step, (dis)satisfaction with salary and additional comments. Quantitative data were not normally distributed (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). Kruskal Wallis tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to test the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Answers on the open-ended questions were coded and categorised in themes. The STROBE checklist was followed.

RESULTS

In total 586 questionnaires were completed. The majority of the respondents were female (85%), and their mean age was 47 years (range 26-66 years). Aged 45 or over, more work experience, working in nursing homes, experiencing more autonomy, collaboration with other nurse practitioners, a firmly anchored position, satisfaction with salary and developmental opportunities contributed positively to the practice environment. Answers on the open-ended questions supported the quantitative results.

CONCLUSIONS

Work motivation, organisational climate and work engagement are positively related to a large variety of personal and work-related factors. Therefore, policymakers and professional organisations should be aware of the impact of these influencing factors to enhance an inspiring work environment.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Awareness of factors that influence nurse practitioners' practice environment can be used as a tool to screen and improve the present work environment.

Ripple Effects of Abusive Supervision

Abusive supervision (AS) is relentless in damaging employees' personal and professional life. This study examines the underlying mechanism through which AS damages employees' job and life satisfaction and, most importantly, the boundary conditions that help attenuate the cascading effects of AS. Using a sample of 187 employees from a large public sector organization, this study found that job tension transmits the antagonistic effects of AS to employees' job and life satisfaction. However, these effects were low for employees who were high rather than low in the personality trait of resilience. The study contributes to the AS literature by explicating job tension as one possible underlying mechanism and resilience as a personality trait that helps diminish the deleterious effects of AS on employees' job tension and wellbeing. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

Relationship between work-family conflict and anxiety/depression among Chinese correctional officers: a moderated mediation model of burnout and resilience

BACKGROUND

Correctional officers tend to have high levels of work-family conflict (WFC). WFC has been found associated with various forms of psychological distress and to affect the overall well-being of correctional officers. Burnout and resilience may affect the relationship between WFC and psychological distress, however, this association still remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of burnout on the relationship between WFC and anxiety/depression and the moderating role of resilience, within the context of correctional officers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China from October 2021 to January 2022. WFC, burnout, resilience, anxiety, and depression were evaluated using the Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS), Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Mediation and moderation models were then tested using the PROCESS macro in SPSS, with burnout being a mediator and resilience playing a moderating role in the relationship between WFC and anxiety/depression.

RESULTS

A total of 472 correctional officers were included. Burnout was found to mediate the relationship between WFC and anxiety (b = 0.14, 95%CI [0.10, 0.19]) and the relationship between WFC and depression (b = 0.23, 95%CI [0.18, 0.28]). Additionally, resilience played a moderating role in the direct effect of WFC on anxiety (b = - 0.02, p < 0.01) and the first half of the indirect effect of WFC on anxiety (b = - 0.007, p < 0.05). Furthermore, resilience was also found to moderate the first half of the indirect effect of WFC on depression (b = - 0.02, p < 0.01), but not the direct effect of WFC on depression (b = - 0.005, p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study may improve our understanding by elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of the connection between WFC and psychological distress among correctional officers. The results have significant implications for policymakers and individuals, as they suggest that diverse interventions may help promote the mental well-being of correctional officers.

Subjective Well-Being and Burnout Among the Maternal and Child Health Workforce

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates burnout and subjective well-being among the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) workforce, considering recent events such as the Dobbs decision, the maternal mortality crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

An anonymous web-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 313 MCH professionals in the United States. Data were collected using validated measures, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) short scale. Sociodemographic characteristics and factors associated with burnout and subjective well-being were examined using univariate statistics and multivariable models.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed moderate levels of burnout among MCH professionals, particularly in emotional exhaustion. However, subjective well-being levels were relatively high. After controlling for covariates, significant associations were found between subjective well-being and burnout dimensions, as well as sociodemographic factors such as sex and race.

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings indicate that higher subjective well-being is significantly associated with lower burnout, emotional exhaustion, and higher personal accomplishment. Variations in burnout and well-being are also influenced by sociodemographic factors such as age, sex, race, and occupation. Tailored interventions addressing the specific needs of MCH professionals are essential for building a resilient workforce. Organizational reforms and legislative measures are crucial for fostering supportive workplace environments and ensuring access to care and services amidst workforce challenges.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Physical Activity and Burnout among Family Physicians in Slovenia during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are the Results Alarming Enough to Convince Decision-Makers to Support Family Medicine?

Physical activity has a positive effect on general health, but its influence on burnout remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between physical activity and the incidence of burnout in Slovenian family physicians (FPs) and family medicine trainees (FMTs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the already-existing problem of burnout. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study among Slovenian family physicians and FMTs in which sociodemographic variables, the type and duration of physical activity, and an assessment of burnout were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Comparisons between groups were made using the independent-samples t-test, Fisher's exact test, and the Wilcoxon sign-rank test. A value of p < 0.05 determined the limit of statistical significance. Of 1230 FPs and FMTs invited to participate, 282 completed the survey (22.9% response rate); there were 243 (86.2%) FPs and 39 (13.8%) FMTs. The overall rating for burnout during the pandemic was high, at 48.6% of FPs and FMTs; 62.8% of respondents reported a high rating for emotional exhaustion and 40.1% for depersonalization. Compared to FMTs, emotional exhaustion and total burnout scores were higher for FPs (p < 0.001 and p = 0.010, respectively), but work status was not related to personal acomplishment, which 53.5% of all participants rated as low. Physical activity did not appear to be a statistically significant factor in the occurrence of burnout during the pandemic. Therefore, work status or occupational role (FP vs. FMT) should be thoroughly investigated in the future along with some other factors and a better response rate.

Coaching leaders toward favorable trajectories of burnout and engagement

Existing literature on executive coaching has shown beneficial outcomes for leaders. Indeed, executive coaching can positively affect an individual's psychological well-being and quality of work life. However, while burnout among leaders is on the rise, to our knowledge no prior study has investigated the influence of executive coaching on the dimensions of burnout and engagement concurrently. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to examine if an executive coaching intervention has positive effects on managerial burnout and engagement. We implemented a ten-week coaching intervention for leaders, where questionnaire data were collected at two time points. Participants (N = 92; Mage = 42; 64% male) were randomly assigned to an intervention or a wait-list control group. Self-reported levels of engagement and burnout were collected at the start of the study protocol (T1) and at the end (T2). Coaching sessions for the intervention group were one hour once per week. The control group did not receive coaching. Repeated measures ANOVAs examined the extent to which the intervention influences the leader's engagement and burnout. Analyses revealed that all three dimensions of burnout significantly decreased for the intervention group over time while vigor increased. Findings did not reveal an increase in dedication and absorption. Consistent with prior literature, this study supports that executive coaching can improve a leader's well-being. Specifically, this study shows that an executive coaching intervention can decrease burnout symptoms and increase vigor in leaders. Adding a follow-up survey to the design would allow for further exploration of the intervention on engagement.

Occupational Class Differences in Emotional Exhaustion Among Municipal Employees - The Role of Employment Sector and Psychosocial Working Conditions

Studies examining occupational class differences in burnout symptoms across employment sectors are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine whether occupational class is associated with emotional exhaustion, and whether there are differences in the examined associations between employment sectors. A further aim was to examine to which extent psychosocial working conditions may explain these associations. Survey data were collected in 2017 among 19-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (4630 women and 1267 men, response rate 51.5%). Occupational class included four classes: 1. manuals, 2. routine non-manuals, 3. semi-professionals, 4. managers and professionals. Employment sector was classified into three groups: 1. health and social care, 2. education and 3. 'other'. Linear regression analysis and IBM SPSS 25 statistical program were used. The analytical sample included 4883 participants. The highest occupational class, i.e. managers and professionals, reported the highest emotional exhaustion. In terms of the sector, those working in education had the highest scores of emotional exhaustion. The associations between occupational class and emotional exhaustion differed somewhat between the sectors. Adjustment for job demands attenuated the differences in emotional exhaustion between occupational classes, whereas adjustment for job control and job strain widened the differences. Attention should be paid to occupations with excess mental demands, and to employees in the education sector, who showed the highest risk of emotional exhaustion.

Techno-Stress Creators, Burnout and Psychological Health among Remote Workers during the Pandemic: The Moderating Role of E-Work Self-Efficacy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working was pervasively implemented, causing an increase in technology-related job demands. Concurrently, there was an increase in psychological problems in the occupational population. This study on remote workers tested a moderated mediation model positing burnout, conceptualized according to the Burnout Assessment Tool, as the mediator between techno-stressors and psychological health outcomes and e-work self-efficacy as a protective personal resource. A sample of 225 remote workers filled out anonymous questionnaires measuring techno-stressors, e-work self-efficacy, burnout, and psychological health symptoms (i.e., depressive mood and anxiety symptoms). The data were analyzed using structural equation mediation and moderated mediation models, adopting a parceling technique. The results showed that burnout totally mediated the relationship between techno-stressors and depressive mood, while partially mediating the association between techno-stressors and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, e-work self-efficacy buffered the positive effects of techno-stressors on depressive mood and anxiety symptoms through burnout. The present research attested to the relevance of techno-stressors for the psychological health of remote workers and supported burnout as a mediator of this process, although anxiety symptoms were also directly related to techno-stressors. Moreover, the protective role of domain-specific self-efficacy was confirmed in the realm of remote working. Limitations and practical implications are discussed.

Anxiety, Depression, Perceived Stress, and Burnout Among Chinese Researchers: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study

Purpose

Depression and anxiety have a significant impact on an individuals' work and personal life alike. The mental health of researchers is a significant concern worldwide. This study investigated the mental health status of Chinese researchers specifically and explored the moderating effects of perceived stress on the influence of low self-accomplishment on anxiety and depression.

Methods

The online survey platform "Survey Star" was used to create a questionnaire to be distributed to researchers, with 949 questionnaires retrieved. The general information questionnaire, 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) were used for this investigation. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to investigate correlations among the relevant variables. Model 8 of PROCESS 3.3 program was used to analyze the moderating effects of perceived stress.

Results

Among the 949 participants, 570 (60.1%) reported symptoms of depression and 431 (45.4%) had symptoms of anxiety, with about one in six reporting symptoms of self-harm or suicidal ideation. Perceived stress was found to moderate the effect of low self-accomplishment on depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

Here we show that researchers exhibit a high rate of depression and anxiety symptoms. Perceived stress is also shown to play a moderating role on the influence of low self-accomplishment on anxiety and depression. Thus, reducing perceived stress levels can help to improve the mental health of researchers.

The role of bidirectional associations between depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion on turnover intention among nurses: a multicenter cross-sectional study in China

BACKGROUND

A high turnover rate in nursing has become a global concern. Mental health issues may increase the turnover intention of nurses and lead to turnover behaviors. However, very little is known about the role of bidirectional associations between emotional exhaustion and depression/anxiety on turnover intention. This study aimed to examine the associations among depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion and turnover intention, and to test the role of bidirectional associations between depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion on turnover intention among nurses.

METHODS

An online multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in Hunan Province, China, from December 2021 to February 2022. The questionnaire collected data from the Turnover Intention Scale, the Emotional Exhaustion Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2, as well as sociodemographic information. Data analysis was performed by univariate analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The average turnover intention score among Chinese nurses was 14.34 ± 3.75. The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 25.9% and 22.3%, respectively. Depression (r = 0.378, P < 0.001), anxiety (r = 0.391, P < 0.001), and emotional exhaustion (r = 0.532, P < 0.001) were positively associated with turnover intention. Emotional exhaustion partially mediated the associations between depression/anxiety and turnover intention, with both mediating effects accounting for 60.7%. The mediating ratios of depression/anxiety on the associations between emotional exhaustion and turnover intentions were 17.6% and 16.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion showed significant positive effects on turnover intention among nurses. Emotional exhaustion played a partial mediation role between depression/anxiety and turnover intention, while depression/anxiety played no significant mediation role between emotional exhaustion and turnover intention.

Resilience and stress as predictors of work engagement: the mediating role of self-efficacy in nurses

Background

Nurses face high levels of stress and work demands, which can affect their work engagement and psychological well-being. Resilience and self-efficacy have been identified as important resources to improve nurses' adaptation and work engagement.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between resilience and stress on work engagement in Peruvian nurses.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected from a sample of 459 nurses. Self-report questionnaires were administered to measure self-efficacy, resilience, stress, and work engagement. SEM analyses were performed to examine the relationship between these variables, and a mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of self-efficacy as a mediator in the relationship between resilience, stress, and work engagement.

Results

The results indicated a positive relationship between resilience, self-efficacy, and work engagement, as well as a negative relationship between stress and work engagement. Additionally, self-efficacy mediated the relationship between resilience and work engagement, as well as the relationship between stress and work engagement in nurses.

Conclusion

Personal resources such as self-efficacy are a key factor in the relationship between resilience (work resources), stress (work demands), and work engagement of Peruvian nurses. Strengthening self-efficacy and resilience can improve work engagement and personal satisfaction of nurses. Hospital administrators and nursing managers should consider the importance of resilience, stress, work engagement, and self-efficacy in registered nurses and develop effective strategies to improve them. This can have a positive impact on the quality of care provided to patients and on the job satisfaction of nurses.

Professional Identity Makes More Work Well-Being Among In-Service Teachers: Mediating Roles of Job Crafting and Work Engagement

Though the positive association between well-being and professional identity among employees is well-document, the internal mechanism underlying this association is known little. Guided by self-determination theory (SDT) and the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study examined the roles of job crafting and work engagement in mediating the association between professional identity and workplace well-being. We surveyed 2090 teachers (including Primary, Middle, and High School teachers) (M age = 39.42 years; SD = 8.72). Teachers completed a series of questionnaires, such as the Teachers' Professional Identity Scale, Employee's Workplace Well-being Scale, Job Crafting Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. We controlled age, teaching age, and gender covariates to get conservative predictions. Multiple mediation analyses were utilized in this study to prove that: (a) professional identity was positively linked to workplace well-being; (b) both job crafting and work engagement take mediator roles in associating the relationships between professional identity and workplace well-being; and (c) a serial indirect pathway (professional identity → job crafting → work engagement → workplace well-being) emerged. These findings explore the factors that affect well-being and point to potential ways in enhancing teachers' workplace well-being even when the task is severe.

Charismatic Leadership Is Not One Size Fits All: The Moderation Effect of Intolerance to Uncertainty and Furlough Status During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to examine the effect of charismatic leadership on followers' attitudinal, emotional, and well-being outcomes in a crisis setting. Combining leadership literature with Conservation of Resources and leader-follower distance theories, we propose that the effect of charismatic leadership on follower outcomes depends on the interplay between the follower's furlough status during the lockdown period and their Intolerance to Uncertainty (IU) dispositional characteristic. A cross-sectional study was conducted at two points in time: during the first lockdown (March-April 2020) and four months after the lockdown (August 2020). The final sample included 336 employees with data for both points in time (n = 199 continued to work during the lockdown, n = 137 were on furlough). The findings confirmed the study's hypotheses and revealed that charismatic leadership significantly contributed to employee outcomes only in the case of furloughed employees with low levels of IU and of continuously-employed employees with high levels of IU. It did not make a similar contribution in the edge cases-employees with low IU levels who continued to work during the lockdown or those with high levels of IU who were furloughed. This study provides novel insights into the relationship between charismatic leadership effectiveness and follower outcomes, and informs managers how to better adjust their leadership style to their followers in a crisis setting. The findings extend our knowledge about charismatic leadership by suggesting the mutual contribution of the distance dimension and employee dispositional characteristics as a boundary condition to charismatic leadership effectiveness.

How job demands and job resources contribute to our overall subjective well-being

Objectives

How the work environment contributes to employees' overall subjective well-being remains inadequately explored. Building upon the seminal Job Demands-Resources model, this study aims to test a complex model that combines leadership, job demands, and job resources, as factors contributing either indirectly (via job satisfaction) or directly to employees' subjective well-being (SWB).

Methods

The cross-sectional data (N = 1,859) of the Belgian National happiness study (2020) were used. Leadership (satisfaction with leadership; perceived supervisor support), job demands (role conflict; job insecurity; work-private conflict; perceived working conditions), job resources (autonomy; relatedness; competence; skill utilization; personal growth), job satisfaction and subjective well-being (life evaluation; positive affect; negative affect) were assessed via self-report questionnaires. The proposed model investigates the direct impact of job demands and resources on SWB, as well as the indirect impact with job satisfaction as mediating factor, and was tested using the Structural Equation Modeling technique.

Results

Findings supported the proposed model. Both job demands and job resources have a direct relationship with SWB. Job resources are positively related to overall SWB, whereas job demands negatively affected SWB. Moreover, job resources are more strongly related to SWB compared to job demands. The demands and resources also indirectly contribute to employee's SWB via job satisfaction as job satisfaction appeared to mediate these relationships.

Conclusion

The current study shows that both job demands and resources directly and indirectly contribute to employees' SWB. Creating a supportive and healthy work environment is thus of paramount importance in order to foster employees' SWB. In particular, investing in improving job resources may be a fruitful approach to promote employees' overall subjective well-being.

Pre-pandemic burnout and its changes during the COVID-19 outbreak as predictors of mental health of healthcare workers: A lesson to be learned

The aim of this study was to identify how previously existing burnout and its changes during the pandemic contributed to PTSD symptoms and psychological distress in a cohort of 388 healthcare workers (HCWs). Each HCW was surveyed in Sep 2019 (before COVID-19) and again in Dec 2020-Jan 2021 (during the pandemic) to assess burnout (MBI); and in the second wave only to assess PTSD (PCL-5-SF), psychological distress (GHQ-12) and resilience (CD-RISC-10). Changes in emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalisation (DEP) were stronger in HCWs with lower EE and DEP baseline values. HCWs with higher baseline poor personal accomplishment (PPA) improved more than those with lower baseline values. In multivariable-adjusted models, pre-pandemic EE and its changes were equally associated to both outcomes: standardised-βs of 0.52 and 0.54 for PTSD, respectively; and 0.55 and 0.53 for psychological distress. Changes in DEP were associated with PTSD only (0.10). Changes in PPA had a higher association with psychological distress (0.29) than pre-pandemic PPA (0.13). Resilience was associated with lower psychological distress (-0.25). Preventive actions aimed at reducing EE, e.g., addressing organisational dysfunctions, are needed to mitigate the impact of future crises, whereas improving personal accomplishment levels is a key target to protect HCWs from mental health disorders during a pandemic.

Encountering suffering in digital care: a qualitative study of providers' experiences in telemental health care

BACKGROUND

Encountering patients who are suffering is common in health care, and particularly when providing mental health care. Telehealth technologies are increasingly used to provide mental health care, yet little is known about the experiences of providers when encountering patients who are suffering within remote care. The present study explored health care providers' lived experiences of encountering patient suffering during telemental health care.

METHODS

A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to uncover participants' experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of physicians, psychologists, and therapists who used telemental health in varied clinical practices in Sweden. Data were analyzed using descriptive phenomenology.

RESULTS

Telehealth care with patients who were suffering was experienced by providers as loose connections, both literally in compromised functioning of the technology and figuratively in a compromised ability connecting emotionally with patients. Providers' lived experiences were explicated into the following aspects: insecurity in digital practice, inaccessibility of the armamentarium, and conviction in the value of telehealth care. Interpersonal connection between patient and provider is necessary. Worry and guilt arose for providers with fears that technology would not work, patient status was deteriorated, or the care needed could not be delivered. Providers overcame barriers in telehealth encounters, and expressed they perceived that patients appreciated the care received, and through it found relief.

CONCLUSIONS

This study brings an understanding of experiences in providing telemental care for patients who are suffering. Providers experience challenges in connecting with patients, and in accessing tools needed to enable reaching the goals of the caring encounter. Efforts to ensure functioning of technology, comfort with its use, and accessibility of tools might be some accommodations to support providers for successful and rewarding telehealth care encounters.

Work engagement, emotional disorders and conflict management styles in paediatric nurse: A mediating effect model

AIM

The mediating role of emotional disorders between conflict management styles and work engagement was explored based on constructing structural equation models in paediatric nurses.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

According to a cross-sectional survey, 300 paediatric nurses were selected from three tertiary hospitals (Chang sha, China), the data were collected using demographic questionnaires, the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The Structural Equation Model was employed to investigate the mediating role of emotional disorders between conflict management styles and work engagement.

RESULTS

Among conflict management styles, emotional disorders and work engagement, the associations were all significant (p < .05). In the mediation models, emotional disorders partially mediate the relationships between conflict management styles and work engagement (indirect effect 0.095, p < .01; direct effect -0.330, p < .01; total effect -0.330, p < .01) and between conflict management styles and work engagement (indirect effect 0.095, p < .01; direct effect 0.329, p < .01; total effect 0.424, p < .01).

Longitudinal development of well-being among Finnish employees during 2019-2021: Relationships with personality trait profiles

We examined well-being profiles among Finnish employees before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and their links with personality trait profiles. Longitudinal survey data were collected in 2019-2021, and 733 respondents participated in all five surveys. The data were analyzed with a person-centered approach using latent profile analysis (LPA). Measures included burnout, work engagement, psychological distress; and Big Five personality traits. Six well-being profiles: Disengaged, Declined, Engaged, Fluctuated, Stable, and Burned-out, and four personality profiles: Ordinary, Reserved, Resilient, and Overcontrolled were identified. Resilient participants typically belonged to the Engaged well-being profile and Reserved to Burned-out and Fluctuated well-being profiles. Although some separation in developmental well-being profiles existed, overall, well-being was rather stable. Personality trait profiles played a crucial role in maintaining well-being.

Burnout and depression of medical staff: A chain mediating model of resilience and self-esteem

BACKGROUND

Although the relationship between burnout and depression is well-known and frequently studied, the specific mechanisms by which burnout develops into depression have not been fully established. Based on theoretical and empirical research on resilience and self-esteem, this study constructs a chain mediating model to test whether they play a mediating role in burnout and depression among medical staff.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with a sample consisting of 602 medical staff was carried out by convenient sampling method. They all completed a self-report questionnaire with demographic information, burnout, resilience, self-esteem and depression. SPSS26 and Mplus8.3 were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Burnout was found to positively predict depression of medical staff and negatively predict resilience and self-esteem. Resilience was a mediator between burnout and depression. Self-esteem was also a mediator between them. Meanwhile, resilience and self-esteem had a chain mediating effect on burnout and depression.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional study does not permit causal inferences. And the data used is self-reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Burnout takes a toll on resilience and self-esteem, which can eventually lead to depression. These findings contribute to the understanding of the predictive effects of burnout on mental health and provide practical implications for the prevention and intervention of mental health among medical staff.

“I want it all”: exploring the relationship between entrepreneurs’ satisfaction with work–life balance, well-being, flow and firm growth

Drawing from the conservation of resources theory, we explore how two personal resources (satisfaction with work–life balance and experience of flow at work) contribute to two important outcomes in entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs’ subjective well-being and firm growth. Although previous research has emphasized the importance of personal factors for firm growth and explored a variety of factors affecting entrepreneurs’ subjective well-being, little attention has been paid to the role of satisfaction with work–life balance as a critical personal resource for entrepreneurs. With this study, we find that entrepreneurs’ satisfaction with work–life balance is positively associated with subjective well-being, which, in turn, mediates the relationship between satisfaction with work–life balance and firm growth. Our study also shows that experiencing flow at work accentuates the relationship between satisfaction with work–life balance and subjective well-being. Based on our findings, we offer implications for practicing entrepreneurs in terms of how to achieve higher levels of well-being and better firm growth. Specifically, we emphasize the benefits of achieving satisfaction with work–life balance, as this is important for an entrepreneur’s subjective well-being and has an indirect impact on firm growth. Stakeholders in entrepreneurial ecosystems should embrace subjective well-being as an important indicator of firm outcomes alongside traditional economic measures.

Positive Organizational Psychology Factors as Serial Multiple Mediators of the Relationship between Organization Support and Job Satisfaction Among Peer Support Specialists

BACKGROUND

Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of peer support specialists in helping people with severe mental illness increase community tenure, decrease hospitalization, boost treatment satisfaction, improve social functioning, and increase quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate positive organizational psychology constructs as serial multiple mediators of the relationships between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction among peer support specialists.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-one peer support specialists from the Texas statewide peer certification training programs and the National Association of Peer Supporters participated in the present study. These peer support specialists completed an online survey composed of self-report measures related to perceived organizational support, positive organizational psychology factors, and job satisfaction. A serial multiple mediation (SMMA) analysis was conducted to evaluate autonomous motivation to work, work engagement, and organizational commitment as mediators of the relationship between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

The SMMA model accounted for 49% of the variation in job satisfaction scores (R² =. 49, f² = 0.96 [> 0.35], a large effect size). Autonomous motivation to work, work engagement, and organizational commitment were significantly associated with job satisfaction after controlling for the effect of perceived organizational support.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived organizational support increased autonomous motivation to work, work engagement, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Peer support specialists are integral members of the interdisciplinary mental health treatment team. Leaders of community-based mental health and rehabilitation agencies who are committed to hire and retain peer support specialists must provide strong organizational support and develop interventions to increase peer support specialists' autonomous motivation to work, work engagement, and organizational commitment as a job retention and career development strategy.

Modelling self-diagnosed burnout as a categorical syndrome

OBJECTIVE

There is currently little consensus as to how burnout is best defined and measured, and whether the syndrome should be afforded clinical status. The latter issue would be advanced by determining whether burnout is a singular dimensional construct varying only by severity (and with some level of severity perhaps indicating clinical status), or whether a categorical model is superior, presumably reflecting differing 'sub-clinical' versus 'clinical' or 'burning out' vs 'burnt out' sub-groups. This study sought to determine whether self-diagnosed burnout was best modelled dimensionally or categorically.

METHODS

We recently developed a new measure of burnout which includes symptoms of exhaustion, cognitive impairment, social withdrawal, insularity, and other psychological symptoms. Mixture modelling was utilised to determine if scores from 622 participants on the measure were best modelled dimensionally or categorically.

RESULTS

A categorical model was supported, with the suggestion of a sub-syndromal class and, after excluding such putative members of that class, two other classes. Analyses indicated that the latter bimodal pattern was not likely related to current working status or differences in depression symptomatology between participants, but reflected subsets of participants with and without a previous diagnosis of a mental health condition.

CONCLUSION

Findings indicated that sub-categories of self-identified burnout experienced by the lay population may exist. A previous diagnosis of a mental illness from a mental health professional, and therefore potentially a psychological vulnerability factor, was the most likely determinant of the bimodal data, a finding which has theoretical implications relating to how best to model burnout.

A Two-Wave Study On The Associations Of Burnout With Depression And Anxiety: The Mediating And Moderating Role Of Perceived Family Support

Studies have shown strong associations between burnout and depression and burnout and anxiety but their exact interrelationships still remain unclear. Few studies have examined the psychosocial mechanisms that might underlie these two relationships. Non-work social factors such as perceived family support can affect mental health. The present study investigated the distinctiveness and the reciprocal associations between burnout and depression, and burnout and anxiety by collecting data twice over an 8 month interval. Perceived family support was examined as a mediating and a moderating factor underlying the two relationships. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale, and the Julkunen Family Support Scale were administered to employees of the general working population (N = 52). First, our results revealed moderate associations between burnout and depression, and burnout and anxiety, supporting the distinctiveness of burnout from the two psychological phenomena. Second, the exhaustion and cynicism burnout dimensions showed reciprocal associations with depression. Moreover, anxiety was found to be a consequence of cynicism while it presented reciprocal associations with the exhaustion dimension of burnout. Perceived family support did not mediate the burnout-depression and burnout-anxiety relationships. However, it moderated the depression-exhaustion relationship in a direction opposite from our hypothesis.

Emotional Exhaustion Variables in Trainee Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

emotional exhaustion among trainee teachers is a relevant topic since it could have repercussions regarding the lives of their future pupils. Our objective was to determine the degree of trainee teachers' emotional exhaustion and associated variables during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

the design was cross-sectional and descriptive. Questionnaires with sociodemographic variables, perceptions of mental health, and the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE) (α = 0.890; ω = 0.893) validated for the Chilean context were answered by 204 trainee teachers. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 and the Emotional Exhaustion Interpretation Table (EES-Int).

RESULTS

the results show that 92.2% of the trainee teachers presented a worsening in their mental health, stress (66.2%), irritability (38.2%), anxiety (37.7%), and depressive symptoms (32.8%). Online classes (73.04%) and the pandemic (67.6%) were the main influencing factors. Education students who perceived their mental health had worsened became 6.63 times more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 6.63; 95% CI: 1.78, 24.69]. In addition, education students with a high perception of academic stress were 7.45 more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 7.45; 95% CI: 1.98, 28.09].

CONCLUSION

we can conclude that trainee teachers have high levels of emotional exhaustion and their perception of their mental health and the academic stress they are being subjected to during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead them to present symptoms of frequent or permanent problems with concentration, attention, recall of information, dissatisfaction with their performance, and frequent learning difficulties. From the affective dimension, they present frequent or permanent anxiety, restlessness, irritability, indifference, low mood, and psychomatization. From the socio-interactional dimension, they present frequent or permanent social withdrawal, interpersonal problems, problems at work or school, and family and relationship problems. Increasing the sample to delve into emotional exhaustion by subject area is necessary. For future studies, research should be conducted on the causes of emotional exhaustion by subject area and the coping strategies of trainee teachers to understand differences and provide input on emotional support in practice.

Attachment anxiety, reflective functioning and well-being as predictors of burn-out and psychological distress among psychotherapists: A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to longitudinally investigate the effects of individual's factors on subsequent burn-out/psychological distress in a sample of mental health practitioners, testing if higher attachment anxiety and avoidance and lower reflective functioning (i.e., certainty and uncertainty of mental states) and well-being at baseline may lead to a greater psychological distress and burn-out 1 year later.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 40 experienced psychotherapists (females: 72.5%; mean age: 47.40 ± 9.48 years) who completed a battery of questionnaires at baseline and 1 year later. Statistical analyses were conducted with Bayesian multiple linear regressions.

RESULTS

Greater attachment anxiety and certainty about mental states and lower individual's well-being at baseline predicted greater burn-out 1 year later. Similarly, greater attachment anxiety and lower individual's well-being at baseline predicted psychological distress at 1 year follow-up. Of note, uncertainty of mental states and avoidant attachment were not associated with outcomes.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the levels of burn-out and psychological distress among psychotherapists may be alleviated with interventions targeting attachment insecurity, specific aspects of reflective functioning (i.e., certainty about mental states) and well-being.

Teachers during the COVID-19 Era: The Mediation Role Played by Mentalizing Ability on the Relationship between Depressive Symptoms, Anxious Trait, and Job Burnout

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 outbreak caused severe changes in school activities over the past two years. Teachers underwent a re-planning of their teaching approaches, shifting from face-to-face teaching formats to remote ones. These challenges resulted in high levels of burnout. The identification of risk/protective factors contributing to burnout is crucial in order to inform intervention programs. Thus, we hypothesized a mediation role of teachers' mentalizing ability (processing of emotions, a component of mentalized affectivity) on the relationship between depression, anxiety, and depersonalization (burnout dimension). Two reverse models were computed. Job satisfaction, teachers' age and gender, school grade, and length of teaching experience served as covariates.

METHODS

466 (M(sd) = 46.2 (10.4) years) online questionnaires were completed by Italian teachers of primary (n = 204) and middle (n = 242) schools. Measures of burnout, depression, anxiety, and mentalization were administered.

RESULTS

The findings corroborated our hypotheses: in all models, processing emotions served as a mediator on the relationship between depression, anxiety, and depersonalization, and on the reciprocal one. Job satisfaction positively impacted processing emotion, and negatively impacted depression and depersonalization; women teachers reported high levels of the anxious trait.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, it can be concluded that the ability to mentalize has a beneficial impact on teachers' well-being. Policymaking, clinical, and research implications were discussed.

Does the economic crisis contribute to the burnout and engagement of Spanish nurses?

The national and European economic crisis has caused significant changes in the National Health System in Spain, among others a considerable deterioration in the working conditions of nursing professionals. The aim of this study was to analyse whether the economic crisis situation influenced the burnout and engagement of Spanish nursing professionals. The research design was a transversal study based on descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Because the variable "economic crisis" is not susceptible to direct experimental manipulation, to explore its possible influence on the burnout and engagement of nursing staff, we use an indirect strategy of "priming". That is, we presented a group of participants with news about how the economic crisis was affecting healthcare personnel, in order to facilitate their cognitive accessibility, while another control group did not read any news. The participants were 66 nursing professionals from two public hospitals in the north of Spain completed various questionnaires that allowed information to be collected on the factors of interest in the study. The work experience of the participants contributes significantly to their burnout levels. The economic crisis situation helps to explain the burnout of Spanish nurses, but not their engagement levels.

Effect of Sexual Knowledge, Attitude and Quality of Life on Marital Satisfaction of Aged Couples in South Iran: APIM-SEM Analysis

Marital satisfaction is important for health and well-being among aged couples. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between knowledge, sexual attitude, and quality of life with marital satisfaction of aged couples of over 60 years in southern Iran. This APIM analytical study was performed on 510 aged couples in southern Iran in 2020. Proportionate stratified sampling was randomly performed in three stages relative to the aging population in main cities in the south Iran. Data collection tools included demographic information (age, education, occupation, living alone, type of disability, etc.), sexual knowledge and attitude scale (SKAS-10), quality of life scale (SF-12), and marital satisfaction questionnaire. Mean score of marital satisfaction, sexual attitude, sexual knowledge, and QoL (SF-12) was 49.71 (SD = 14.8), 27.5 (SD = 7.3), 24.7 (SD = 8.5), and 31.49 (SD = 3.2), respectively. The present study showed that sexual knowledge and attitude, quality of life, are among the estimators of marital satisfaction in aged couples.

Social, lifestyle, and health status characteristics as a proxy for occupational burnout identification: A network approach analysis

Background

Occupational burnout is a type of psychological syndrome. It can lead to serious mental and physical disorders if not treated in time. However, individuals tend to conceal their genuine feelings of occupational burnout because such disclosures may elicit bias from superiors. This study aims to explore a novel method for estimating occupational burnout by elucidating its links with social, lifestyle, and health status factors.

Methods

In this study 5,794 participants were included. Associations between occupational burnout and a set of features from a survey was analyzed using Chi-squared test and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Variables that are significantly related to occupational burnout were grouped into four categories: demographic, work-related, health status, and lifestyle. Then, from a network science perspective, we inferred the colleague's social network of all participants based on these variables. In this inferred social network, an exponential random graph model (ERGM) was used to analyze how occupational burnout may affect the edge in the network.

Results

For demographic variables, age (p < 0.01) and educational background (p < 0.01) were significantly associated with occupational burnout. For work-related variables, type of position (p < 0.01) was a significant factor as well. For health and chronic diseases variables, self-rated health status, hospitalization history in the last 3 years, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, high blood lipid, breast diseases, and other chronic diseases were all associated with occupational burnout significantly (p < 0.01). Breakfast frequency, dairy consumption, salt-limiting tool usage, oil-limiting tool usage, vegetable consumption, pedometer (step counter) usage, consuming various types of food (in the previous year), fresh fruit and vegetable consumption (in the previous year), physical exercise participation (in the previous year), limit salt consumption, limit oil consumption, and maintain weight were also significant factors (p < 0.01). Based on the inferred social network among all airport workers, ERGM showed that if two employees were both in the same occupational burnout status, they were more likely to share an edge (p < 0.0001).

Limitation

The major limitation of this work is that the social network for occupational burnout ERGM analysis was inferred based on associated factors, such as demographics, work-related conditions, health and chronic diseases, and behaviors. Though these factors have been proven to be associated with occupational burnout, the results inferred by this social network cannot be warranted for accuracy.

Conclusion

This work demonstrated the feasibility of identifying people at risk of occupational burnout through an inferred colleague's social network. Encouraging staff with lower occupational burnout status to communicate with others may reduce the risk of burnout for other staff in the network.

Leadership Inequity, Burnout, and Lower Engagement of Women in Medicine

Gender parity has been reached in graduation rates from medical school, yet women in medicine continue to face obstacles in promotion, compensation and opportunities, leading to leadership inequity, higher burnout and lower engagement. These complex issues with gender are just one aspect of the wide challenges related to diversity, equity and inclusion among medical professionals. While there are no "one size fits all" approaches, psychologists are well positioned to lead efforts related to promoting leadership equity, reducing burnout and raising engagement because of their training in communication skills, programmatic development and empathetic listening. This paper details several evidence-based efforts in which psychologists can lead in these ongoing issues for women in medicine.

Burnout among healthcare providers: Its prevalence and association with anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in Macao, China

INTRODUCTION

Burnout in healthcare providers (HPs) might lead to negative consequences at personal, patient-care and healthcare system levels especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of burnout and the contributing variables, and to explore how, from health workforce management perspective, HPs' experiences related to carrying out COVID-19 duties would be associated with their burnout.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, open online survey, informed by physical and psychological attributes reportedly related to burnout, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), was completed by HPs in Macau, China during October and December 2021. Factors associated with burnout were analysed using multiple logistic regressions.

RESULTS

Among the 498 valid responses, the participants included doctors (37.5%), nurses (27.1%), medical laboratory technologist (11.4%) and pharmacy professionals (10.8%), with the majority being female (66.1%), aged between 25-44years (66.0%), and participated in the COVID-19 duties (82.9%). High levels of burnout (personal (60.4%), work-related (50.6%) and client-related (31.5%)), anxiety (60.6%), and depression (63.4%) were identified. Anxiety and depression remained significantly and positively associated with all types of burnout after controlling for the strong effects of demographic and work factors (e.g. working in the public sector or hospital, or having COVID-19 duties). HPs participated in COVID-19 duties were more vulnerable to burnout than their counterparts and were mostly dissatisfied with the accessibility of psychological support at workplace (62.6%), workforce distribution for COVID-19 duties (50.0%), ability to rest and recover (46.2%), and remuneration (44.7%), all of which were associated with the occurrence of burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Personal, professional and health management factors were found attributable to the burnout experienced by HPs during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring actions from individual and organizational level. Longitudinal studies are needed to monitor the trend of burnout and to inform effective strategies of this occupational phenomenon.

Mental health status of mental health nurses in China: Results from a national survey

INTRODUCTION

It has been acknowledged in China that actions should be taken immediately to ease the critical shortage of psychiatric nurses. However, with national data lacking, little is known about nurses' mental health status.

AIM

To evaluate psychiatric nurses' mental health status by measuring their burnout, depression, anxiety and stress.

METHODS

All psychiatric nurses in the 41 selected hospitals in China were invited to participate in the survey. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were used to assess variables of interest.

RESULTS

38.6% of psychiatric nurses met the criteria for burnout. The rates of depression, anxiety and stress were 26.3%, 36.4% and 12.5%, respectively. It was found that workplace region, educational level, working years, longer working hours and night shifts were associated with risk of burnout and DASS.

CONCLUSIONS

More than a quarter of psychiatric nurses are suffering from burnout, depression or anxiety in China. Policymakers and hospital administrators should design a flexible schedule and restrict working hours for psychiatric nurses to achieve work-life balance.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The study informs policymakers and administrators on addressing the nursing shortage by identifying nurses immersed in negative emotions and preventing mental health problems.

The Mediation Chain Effect of Cognitive Crafting and Personal Resources on the Relationship between Role Ambiguity and Dentists' Emotional Exhaustion

Based on Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), Conservation of Resources (COR) and self-regulation theories integration, this study investigated the association between role ambiguity and emotional exhaustion among 191 Romanian dentists, as well as the chain mediating role of cognitive crafting and three personal resources (resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy). Three conceptual models which included, separately, the three personal resources were proposed. PROCESS macros were used to verify the hypotheses related to the testing of the path mediation models. The results indicated that role ambiguity was directly and positively associated with dentists' burnout. More importantly, the sequential indirect effect of role ambiguity on burnout via mediators in chains (cognitive crafting and resilience for the first model; cognitive crafting and optimism for the second model; cognitive crafting and self-efficacy for the third model) was significant. The findings provide a direction for dentists' health intervention because it reveals how the negative impact of role ambiguity on emotional exhaustion increasing can be buffered by the cumulative effect of cognitive crafting and different personal resources, as a result of their chain reinforcement.

Emotion regulation and mental health among professionals of long-term care institutions for older adults: the mediating role of work engagement

BACKGROUND

This study examined whether work engagement mediated the association between emotion regulation and mental health of professionals working in long-term care institutions for older adults in Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

A cross-sectional study with a total of 104 professionals working in 13 long-term care facilities for the elderly in Brazil was conducted. Emotion regulation (expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption), and mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) were measured using self-report scales. Multiple mediation models were used to test the mediating role of engagement.

RESULTS

Expressive suppression was associated with more vigor, which in turn was associated with less anxiety and stress; cognitive reappraisal was associated with more vigor, which in turn was associated with less anxiety and stress. No indirect effects were found for depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal strategies to regulate emotions seem to be associated with more vigor in terms of resilience and persistence to deal with work demands in these professionals. These results seem to suggest that workers who are more capable of regulating their emotions (using both expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal in a flexible way according to work demands) are more likely to be resilient, invest in their profession, and be persistent in the face of difficulties. This, in turn, contributes to protecting them from experiencing anxiety and stress.

Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) at middle management level in the healthcare sector: A contribution to the Italian validation of psychosocial safety climate-4

Introduction

Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) refers to workers' shared perceptions of organizational policies, practices and procedures for the protection of psychological health and safety. PSC offers a multilevel organizational approach that expands traditional models of workplace stress, giving a more comprehensive understanding of occupational health and safety issues. Although considerable research on psychosocial risks in the healthcare sector has been conducted, few studies have explored the role of PSC among healthcare workers at middle management level. Additionally, no validated version of PSC is available in Italian language. The aim of this study is to contribute to the validation of the Italian 4-item version of the PSC and to explore this theory within the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) among a sample of Italian healthcare workers by testing PSC at the middle management level.

Methods

We used cross-sectional data from 276 employees working in 17 different wards in a large Italian hospital. Intra-class coefficient (ICC) coefficient and agreement index were used to test PSC as a climate construct (data nested to hospital ward level). We performed hierarchical linear models to test mediation and moderation effects.

Results

The Italian version of PSC-4 proved to have good psychometric properties and confirmed its role as a group-level construct (α = 0.84; ICC = 0.16). Multilevel random coefficient models showed PSC was associated with Job demands (Effort: B = -0.36, SE = 0.07; Emotional demands: B = -0.03, SE = 0.01) and Job resources (Reward: B = 1.16, SE = 0.01; Physical work environment: B = 0.06, SE = 0.01). Results confirmed the indirect effect of PSC on Psychological (Burnout) and Occupational health (Job satisfaction) outcomes supporting the role of Job resources and Job demands as mediators. The multilevel analysis did not find a significant interaction terms between PSC and Job demands on Burnout therefore the moderation hypothesis was not supported.

Discussion

The Italian version of PSC-4 is a valid tool to evaluate PSC. These findings sustain the multilevel framework of PSC and the significant role played by mid-leaders in both the health impairment and motivational path. Further studies should explore the buffering effect of PSC at higher baseline levels as well as the adoption of PSC as a target for occupational health intervention the Italian context.