Directive and nondirective social support in the workplace - is this social support distinction important for subjective health complaints, job satisfaction, and perception of job demands and job control?

COVID-19 in School Teachers: Job Satisfaction and Burnout through the Job Demands Control Model

The recent pandemic has influenced teachers' mental health and well-being. The present work follows the Job-Demands-Control model, analyzing changes in the demands, control, and social support during COVID-19, and how they influence job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among school teachers. The sample comprised 172 school teachers. The instruments applied were The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), The Job Satisfaction Teacher Index (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 2014), and The Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ). Job satisfaction was predicted exclusively by social support, revealing the importance of social interactions at work. Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were predicted by job demands, showing that an increase in job demands (i.e., COVID) affects individuals' feelings of burnout. The results show that it would be interesting to design strategies that guarantee job control in the teaching context. This would open multiple pathways to implement healthier methodological processes for teachers and the consequent research to support these processes.

Factors influencing teacher wellbeing and burnout in schools: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Teacher's wellbeing and mental health play a pivotal role in learning experiences and educational environment. For a better future, we need thriving teachers with strong wellbeing.

OBJECTIVE

The current scoping literature review aimed to explore the factors fostering wellbeing and causing burnout among school teachers.

METHODS

Applying appropriate search terms to relevant databases for the years 2016-2020 yielded 934 potentially relevant research articles which were further filtered to 102 articles.

RESULTS

The findings of this review suggested that emotion regulation, positive workplace milieu and teacher self-efficacy (feeling successful as a teacher) are important factors fostering teachers' wellbeing whilst negative workplace environment and negative emotions along with feeling marginalized or bullied by coworkers are factors behind teacher burnout. The strengths of this study include a rigorous research design and relational analysis approach.

CONCLUSION

Teacher wellbeing needs a workplace environment with minimum bullying and marginalization. An atmosphere of respect, inclusion, and mutual teacher support is needed to promote wellbeing.

Why Do They Leave? The Counterplans to Continue Working among Preschool Workers in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Three institutions predominantly care for preschool children in Japan: kindergartens, authorized childcare institutions, and nursery centers. Recently, the turnover rates of preschool workers in these institutions have been high, and Japan has been facing a shortage of kindergarten teachers. The study aimed to provide concrete counterplans to reduce preschool workers' turnover rate. To determine the causes of turnover, we conducted a cross-sectional survey. We recruited preschool workers from several kindergartens, authorized childcare institutions, and nursery centers in Japan to fill out a survey regarding counterplans for employment. Of the 1002 surveys, 551 (541 women; 10 men) complete surveys were received (response rate: 55%). A total of 295 participants answered that they were unwilling to continue working for longer than five years and completed the questionnaires. The Jiro Kawakita method was used to categorize and analyze the four sections of the counterplan questionnaires. The results showed that the main reasons for high turnover were overtime work, low salary, and difficult human relations. To solve these issues, the counterplan ideas such as workshop ideas and conditions conducive to continuing working longer were related to human relations, work conditions, and mental health.

Upper and lower musculoskeletal back pain, stress, physical activity, and organisational work support: An exploratory study of police investigative interviewers

Police investigative interviewers in special victims' units have particularly stressing work conditions. Being few in numbers, with highly specialised competence, the health and well-being of this workgroup are key. This study explores the prevalence of muscular lower and upper back pain and stress and associations with physical activity and organisational work support among 77 police investigators. The police investigative interviewers reported high levels of physical activity. Compared to other police employees, they reported similar levels of musculoskeletal back pain, higher levels of upper back pain, and higher levels of stress. Physical activity was not related to musculoskeletal back pain. In the regression analysis, musculoskeletal back pain was negatively associated with organisational work support. Limitations due to low statistical power and a cross-sectional design apply. However, the study provides interesting insight into the prevalence of musculoskeletal back pain and its association with organisational work support and stress among police employees.

The association between academic stress, social support, and self-regulatory fatigue among nursing students: a cross-sectional study based on a structural equation modelling approach

BACKGROUND

Emphasizes the state of academic stress, social support, and self-regulatory fatigue on the physical and mental development of Chinese nursing students, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between these variables and the mediating role of social support in academic stress and self-regulatory fatigue among a group of undergraduate nursing students in Heilongjiang Province, China, in order to provide a theoretical basis for working to reduce nursing students' self-regulatory fatigue.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 1703 nursing students from various academic years completed the scales of social support, academic stress, and self-regulatory fatigue. In the end, there were 797 valid questionnaires, for a recovery rate of 46.80%. For statistical analysis, the independent t-test, Kruskal Wallis test, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used. In addition, we undertake analyses using structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

The bulk of nursing students, or 81.4%, are between the ages of 19 and 21. Eighty percent were females. The bulk (93.0%) was comprised of freshmen. Academic stress, social support, and self-regulatory fatigue had total scores of 111.28 ± 29.38, 37.87 ± 6.70, and 45.53 ± 5.55,respectively. Academic stress was correlated with social support and self-regulatory fatigue (all p < 0.001). Social support was an intermediate variable (p < 0.001), with an intermediate effect value of 0.122, representing 32.35% of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Academic pressure is associated with an increase in self-regulatory fatigue, mediated by social support. Educational administrators should pay attention to the social support and resource supplement of nursing students, the adjustment and compensatory development of nursing students' physical and mental resources, the advancement of nursing students' internal resource adjustment, and the reduction of their self-regulatory fatigue.

The impact of psychosocial working conditions on information security behaviour in the nuclear industry

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relations among job resources, value conflicts, information security climate and information security behaviour in the nuclear industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal questionnaire data on information security climate and psychosocial working conditions were collected from two organisations in Sweden (response rate 62% and 59%, respectively).

Findings

A high occurrence of value conflicts decreased the participative information security behaviour, while psychosocial job resources and high job demands had positive effects on such behaviour. High rule-compliant information security behaviour led to fewer perceived value conflicts. When job resources were high, high job demands had a positive effect on rule compliance. Information security climate had a strong and positive cross-sectional relationship with information security behaviour but no longitudinal influence on behaviour. This suggests that the time interval, one year between measurements, may have been too long and events between measurements may have masked the causal process.

Originality/value

As one of very few longitudinal studies of information security, this study illuminated causal relationships regarding information security behaviour that have not been possible to identify in previous cross-sectional research. This enables better understanding of psychosocial phenomena and processes of importance for information security. This study does not provide conclusive results but indicates new important directions for research.

Are Work Demand, Support and Control Associated with Work Ability and Disability during Back Pain Treatment? A Prospective Explorative Study

Background: Low back pain is a multifactorial disease with consequences for work ability and social participation. Improved integration of the work domain in health care management is needed. The aim of this study was to explore the relation between working conditions with outcome of low back pain treatment. Methods: Observational study of 41 patients attending physiotherapy for low back pain. Work demands, support and control were registered at baseline and work ability and disability also at baseline, with follow up after three and nine months. We used mixed-effects models to estimate the longitudinal associations between working conditions and outcome. Results: Higher work demands were related to reduced work ability (−1.1 points, 95% CI: −2.1 to −0.1) and slightly increased disability (5.6 points, 95% CI: 0.5 to 10.7). Lack of social support from colleagues was associated with reduced work ability (−2.7 points, 95% CI: −0.2 to 1.5) and disability (14.0 points, 95% CI: 4.9 to 23.1). Conclusions: This explorative study found associations between work demands and support, and work ability and disability outcome. Screening for psychosocial working conditions may influence the work ability and disability treatment outcome. The results need replication in larger samples and may indicate that patients seeking primary care management for low back pain should be screened for work demands, support and control.

Health and safety risk perceptions and needs of app-based drivers during COVID-19

Background

App‐based drivers face work disruptions and infection risk during a pandemic due to the nature of their work, interactions with the public, and lack of workplace protections. Limited occupational health research has focused on their experiences.

Methods

We surveyed 100 app‐based drivers in Seattle, WA to assess risk perceptions, supports, and controls received from the company that employs them, sources of trust, stress, job satisfaction, COVID‐19 infection status, and how the pandemic had changed their work hours. Data were summarized descriptively and with simple regression models. We complemented this with qualitative interviews to better understand controls and policies enacted during COVID‐19, and barriers and facilitators to their implementation.

Results

Drivers expressed very high levels of concern for exposure and infection (86%–97% were “very concerned” for all scenarios). Only 31% of drivers reported receiving an appropriate mask from the company for which they drive. Stress (assessed via PSS‐4) was significantly higher in drivers who reported having had COVID‐19, and also significantly higher in respondents with lower reported job satisfaction. Informants frequently identified supports such as unemployment benefits and peer outreach among the driver community as ways to ensure that drivers could access available benefits during COVID‐19.

Conclusions

App‐based drivers received few protections from the company that employed them, and had high fear of exposure and infection at work. There is increased need for health‐supportive policies and protections for app‐based drivers. The most effective occupational and public health regulations would cover employees who may not have a traditional employer–employee relationship.

Factors associated with kindergarten teachers' willingness to continue working

The turnover rate among kindergarten teachers in advanced countries is extremely high. As such, there is an urgent need to determine the reasons for this turnover and to identify ways to prevent it. The current study investigates the individual and environmental factors that impact kindergarten teachers' willingness to continue working.A total of 600 kindergarten teachers in Japan participated in this study. Participants responded to questionnaires regarding their willingness to continue working, mental health, work engagement, and the availability of social support. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze participants' data, with willingness to continue working for 5 or more years as the dependent variable. Additionally, Spearman rank correlation was used to examine the correlations between factors associated with willingness to continue working.Factors such as older age, living with a spouse, caring for younger children (up to 2 years old) at work, good mental health, and higher work engagement were significantly associated with teachers' higher willingness to continue working. Factors such as marriage, health and family problems, overtime work, issues with workplace childcare, and education policy, working time/day problems, human relations, and difficulties taking care of children were correlated with teachers' lack of willingness to continue working.The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that welfare benefits and individual support systems could be key elements to encourage kindergarten teachers to continue working and could lead to their improved job satisfaction and mental health. Balanced work conditions and workers' high agreement with their workplace's overall childcare or educational policies may lead to lower turnover. Some programs - such as relationship counselling - could have a positive impact on teachers' mental health and job satisfaction.

Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Roles of Personal, Social and Organizational Resources on Perceived Stress and Exhaustion among Finnish University Employees

The aim of this study is to investigate whether personal, social and organizational level resources can buffer against the negative effects of perceived loneliness on stress and exhaustion. The data was collected from Finnish university employees (n = 1463) in autumn 2020 via an electronic survey. Of the respondents, about 78% were working remotely, and 64% were female. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the main and moderating (i.e., buffering) effects. The results indicated that perceived loneliness was directly and positively associated with stress and exhaustion. Further, as hypothesized, personal resilience moderated the relationship between loneliness and stress and exhaustion, and organizational support moderated the relationship between loneliness and stress. Unexpectedly, organizational support did not moderate the loneliness-exhaustion relationship. Moreover, a sense of social belonging was not associated with stress and exhaustion, nor did it moderate loneliness and well-being relationships. The results demonstrate the importance of personal resilience and organizational support in enhancing well-being in organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research directions and practical ways to promote resilience and to increase organizational support are discussed.

Self-Identity and Career Success of Nurses in Infectious Disease Department: The Chain-Mediating Effects of Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Social Support

There has been some research conducted regarding nurses’ career success aimed at exploring its influencing factors, but there is no research on the mechanism of self-identity on the career success of infection control nurses. In order to further explore the formation mechanism of career success of nurses, we conducted our study using the Kaleidoscope Career Model to explore the chain-mediating effects of cognitive emotion regulation and social support between self-identity and career success. Five hundred forty-seven infection control nurses from nine different hospitals participated in the study and completed questionnaires on the self-identity, cognitive emotion regulation, social support, and career success scales. The results from structural equation modeling reveal that self-identity has a positive effect on positive emotion regulation and social support and a negative impact on negative emotion regulation. Positive (negative) emotion regulation has a positive (negative) effect on social support. All antecedents have a positive impact on career success except negative emotion regulation, which has a negative one. Bootstrap analysis shows that the relationship between self-identity and career success is partially mediated by the chain of cognitive emotion regulation and social support. Overall, our research sheds light on the mechanism of self-identity on career success of nurses. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Employment: Evidence from the Korea Health Panel Study

Previous studies have analyzed the impact of diabetes mellitus on labor market participation by men and women, but gender difference between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and employment has not been the focus. This study aims to explore gender differences between T2DM and employment status. Data from the Korea Health Panel Study, 2013-2015 were analyzed by distinguishingT2DM and non-diabetes (N = 11,216). The empirical model was established and the generalized two-stage least squares (2SLS) was estimated, controlling for endogeneity. A family history of diabetes, as an instrumental variable, was related to an individual's genetic predisposition to develop diabetes. The estimated results for the 2SLS showed the interaction effects between T2DM and employment. T2DM had a statistically significant and negative effect on employment for women only. The comparison with non-diabetes showed that women with T2DM had a lower probability of employment by 51.9% (p < 0.05). Exposing gender bias in employment suggests that healthcare policies and disease management programs for diabetic patients should adopt gender-specific remedies.

Mindfulness as a Protective Factor for Dissatisfaction in HCWs: The Moderating Role of Mindful Attention between Climate Stress and Job Satisfaction

With the aim of investigating the possible moderating effect of job control and dispositional mindfulness between different sources of organizational stress and job satisfaction, a correlational study was designed involving health care workers (HCWs). The following questionnaires were administered and completed by 237 HCWs: (1) Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI), to measure the sources of stress at work (managerial role, climate power, climate structure, internal relationships), and job satisfaction; (2) Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) to assess the individual’s level of attention to what is taking place in the present; (3) Job Control Scale (JCS) to assess the perceived control at work. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the hypothesized relationships between variables; the results showed that, between the different sources of stress, the organizational climate dimension was negatively associated with job satisfaction; moreover, mindfulness attention moderated the relationship between climate stress and job satisfaction; unexpectedly, the interaction between job control and the organizational climate dimension was not significant in affecting job satisfaction. This study can provide useful information for Human Resources Management (HRM) practices regarding job and mental control interventions and empowerment, and possibly offer a new interpretation of the role of attention to what is happening in the present moment and autonomy between climate stressors and occupational satisfaction.

Effect of Reassuring Information About Musculoskeletal and Mental Health Complaints at the Workplace: A Cluster Randomized Trial of the atWork Intervention

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible difference between the Modified atWork intervention (MAW) and the Original atWork intervention (OAW) on sick leave and other health related outcomes. atWork is a group intervention using the workplace as an arena for distribution of evidence-based knowledge about musculoskeletal and mental health complaints. Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial with 93 kindergartens, comprising a total of 1011 employees, was conducted. Kindergartens were stratified by county and size and randomly allocated to MAW (45 clusters, 324 respondents) or OAW (48 clusters, 313 respondents). The randomization and intervention allocation processes were concealed. There was no blinding to group allocation. Primary outcome was register data on sick leave at cluster level. Secondary outcomes were health complaints, job satisfaction, social support, coping, and beliefs about musculoskeletal and mental health complaints, measured at the individual level. Results The MAW group reduced sick leave by 5.7% during the intervention year, while the OAW group had a 7.5% increase. Overall, the changes were not statistically significant, and no difference was detected between groups, based on 45 and 47 kindergartens. Compared to the OAW group, the MAW group had a smaller reduction for two of the statements concerning faulty beliefs about back pain, but believed less in the hereditary nature of depression. Conclusions The MAW did not have a different effect on sick leave at cluster level compared to the OAW. Trial registration https://Clinicaltrials.gov/ : NCT02396797. Registered March 23th, 2015.