Psychological wellbeing in a resource-limited work environment: examining levels and determinants among health workers in rural Malawi

Impact of less social connectedness and fear of COVID-19 test on employees task performance: A multi-mediation model

The core objective of this study is to examine the impact of less social connectedness and testing fear on employee health. This study also investigates the mediating role of psychological strain between the relationship of less social connectedness, testing fear and employee health. Furthermore, this study also assesses the impact of employee health on employee performance. The study's target audience consisted of employees in the electronics industry in China. The convenience sample method was used in this study to collect data from respondents. Data analysis of this study was performed by using the structural equation modeling technique. The statistical software used for data analysis is Smart PLS 3. The results of this study show that less COVID-19 testing fear has a negatively significant impact on employee health, but less social connectedness has not significant direct impact on employee health. Furthermore, psychological strain was discovered to mediate the relationship between less social connectedness and employee health and testing fear and employee health. In addition, this impact of employee health on employee performance was found significant. This study provides theoretical and practical implications. In the context of practical implications, this study provides valuable insights for the organizational management to develop a healthy and positive working environment and adopt healthy behavior among their employees which ultimately foster their job performance.

Optimizing the Practice Environment for Medical Staff in the Post-pandemic Era: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Objective

This study aimed to elicit the stated job preferences of Chinese medical staff in the post-pandemic era and identify the relative importance of different factors in the practice environment.

Methods

We used an online discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey instrument to elicit the job preferences of medical staff (doctors and nurses) in tertiary hospitals in Anhui, China. Attributes and levels were generated using qualitative methods, and four attributes were considered: career development, workload, respect from society, and monthly income. A set of profiles was created using a D-efficient design. The data were analyzed considering potential preference heterogeneity, using the conditional logit model and the latent class logit (LCL) model.

Results

A total of 789 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis, with an effective response rate of 73.33%. Career development, workload, respect from society, and monthly income were significant factors that influenced job preferences. Three classes were identified based on the LCL model, and preference heterogeneity among different medical staff was demonstrated. Class 1 (16.17%) and Class 2 (43.51%) valued respect from society most, whereas Class 3 (40.32%) prioritized monthly income. We found that when respect from society was raised to a satisfactory level (50–75% positive reviews), the probability of medical staff choosing a certain job increased by 69.9%.

Conclusion

Respect from society was the most preferred attribute, while workload, monthly income, and career development were all key factors in the medical staff's job choices. The heterogeneity of the medical professionals' preferences shows that effective policy interventions should be customized to accommodate these drive preferences.

Signifying the Relationship between Fear of COVID-19, Psychological Concerns, Financial Concerns and Healthcare Employees Job Performance: A Mediated Model

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has undoubtedly created immense health problems in the global healthcare sector. Apart from its impact on physical health, it has devastatingly affected the psychological well-being of individuals. Based on Affective Events Theory (AET), the current study aims to contemplate the relationship between Fear of COVID-19 (CVF), psychological concerns (PC), and financial concerns (FC) while considering the impact on the healthcare employees’ job performance (JP). Moreover, this study investigates the mediating role of job anxiety (ANX), stress (ST), and depression (DEP). The data were collected through an online structured questionnaire (Google Forms) from 489 employees working in the healthcare centers of Pakistan. The structured equation modeling (partial least square) approach is adopted for data analysis. The study results showed that Fear of COVID-19, psychological and financial concerns positively and significantly affect healthcare workers’ job performance. Depression, anxiety, and stress mediated the relationship between Fear of COVID-19, psychological concerns, financial concerns, and job performance. The study theoretically and practically contributes to the existing literature on psychological and mental health by providing a better understanding of the individual variables that affect employees’ job performance.

Menstrual health challenges in the workplace and consequences for women's work and wellbeing: A cross-sectional survey in Mukono, Uganda

This study describes women's menstrual health needs at work in Uganda and explores the associations between unmet needs and women's work and wellbeing. We undertook a cross-sectional survey of women working in marketplaces, public primary schools, and health care facilities in Mukono district, central Uganda. Survey questions were designed to capture women's experiences of managing menstrual bleeding, pain, social support, and the social environment. A total 435 women working in markets, 45 teachers and 45 health care facility workers participated. Of these, 15% missed work due to their last period, and 41% would prefer not to work during menstruation. Unmet menstrual health needs were associated with consequences for women's work and psychological wellbeing. Experiencing menstrual pain (aPR 3.65 95%CI 1.48-9.00), along with the use of improvised menstrual materials (aPR 1.41 95%CI 1.08-1.83), not feeling comfortable to discuss menstruation at work (aPR 1.54 95%CI 1.01-2.34) and the expectation that women should stay home when menstruating (aPR 2.44 95%CI 1.30-4.60) were associated with absenteeism due to menstruation. In contrast, not having menstrual management needs met (aPR 1.45 95%CI 1.17-1.79) and the attitude that menstruating women are dirty (aPR 1.94 95%CI 1.50-2.51), along with pain (aPR 1.59 95%CI 1.12-2.24) and norms around absenteeism were associated with wanting to miss work. After adjustment for age and poverty, unmet menstrual management needs (b = -5.97, 95%CI -8.89, -2.97), pain (b = -3.89, 95%CI -7.71, -0.08) and poor social support (b = -5.40, 95%CI -9.22, -1.57) were associated with lower wellbeing measured using the WHO-5. Attitudes that menstruation should be kept secret (b = 4.48, 95%CI 0.79, 8.17) and is dirty (b = 4.59, 95%CI 0.79, 8.40) were associated with higher wellbeing. Findings suggest that supporting care for menstrual pain, addressing secrecy surrounding menstruation and the perception of menstruation as dirty, and improving access to materials and facilities for managing menstrual bleeding are avenues for programs and policies to support working women.

Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction and Teacher Well-Being in the K-12 Educational System

Teacher job satisfaction and well-being have a significant impact on educational outcomes, considering that teaching is the main objective of the educational process. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and four main categories of determinants: self-efficacy, relational aspects (colleague collaboration, student behavior, school management), work-related aspects (administrative workload, teaching tasks), and working conditions, in order to identify various implications for teachers’ well-being. The study employs a survey delivered to 658 K-12 (pre-university) teachers, from the North-West region of Romania. We used factorial analysis and a structural equation model to test eight proposed hypotheses. The results showed that self-efficacy, promotion, positive student behavior, and working conditions have significant effects on job satisfaction. These factors influence job satisfaction and well-being in the teaching profession because they ensure a positive work environment in which teachers and students thrive, thus leading to higher levels of involvement from teachers, students, and parents alike. An efficient work environment decreases attrition, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and teacher turnover, while increasing job satisfaction, well-being, and teacher retention.

Assessing the impact of a motivational intervention to improve the working lives of maternity healthcare workers: a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a feasibility study in Malawi

BACKGROUND

Globally too many mothers and babies die during childbirth; 98% of maternal deaths are avoidable. Skilled clinicians can reduce these deaths; however, there is a world-wide shortage of maternity healthcare workers. Malawi has enough to deliver 20% of its maternity care. A motivating work environment is important for healthcare worker retention. To inform a future trial, we aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing a motivational intervention (Appreciative Inquiry) to improve the working lives of maternity healthcare workers and patient satisfaction in Malawi.

METHODS

Three government hospitals participated over 1 year. Its effectiveness was assessed through: a monthly longitudinal survey of working life using psychometrically validated instruments (basic psychological needs, job satisfaction and work-related quality of life); a before and after questionnaire of patient satisfaction using a patient satisfaction tool validated in low-income settings with a maximum score of 80; and a qualitative template analysis encompassing ethnographic data, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with staff.

RESULTS

The intervention was attended by all 145 eligible staff, who also participated in the longitudinal study. The general trend was an increase in the scores for each scale except for the basic psychological needs score in one site. Only one site demonstrated strong evidence for the intervention working in the work-related quality of life scales. Pre-intervention, 162 postnatal women completed the questionnaire; post-intervention, 191 postnatal women participated. Patient satisfaction rose in all three sites; referral hospital 4.41 rise (95% CI 1.89 to 6.95), district hospital 10.22 (95% CI 7.38 to 13.07) and community hospital 13.02 (95% CI 10.48 to 15.57). The qualitative data revealed that staff felt happier, that their skills (especially communication) had improved, behaviour had changed and systems had developed.

CONCLUSIONS

We have shown that it is possible to implement Appreciative Inquiry in government facilities in Malawi, which has the potential to change the way staff work and improve patient satisfaction. The mixed methods approach revealed important findings including the importance of staff relationships. We have identified clear implementation elements that will be important to measure in a future trial such as implementation fidelity and inter-personal relationship factors.