Psychosocial Work Environment and Teachers' Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Job Control and Social Support

Exploring the relationship between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health: a structural equation modeling analysis among faculty in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial hazards in the workplace were identified as a considerable risk to employee mental health as well as their general well-being. Few studies were found to examine its relationship with work engagement and mental health. Thus, this study examines the relationships between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health within the faculty in Saudi Arabia using structural equation modeling.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 375 faculty. Data collection was done using a self-administered online survey that included instruments such as the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). SmartPLS 3 software facilitated data analysis and included the assessment of factors. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the interplay between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health.

RESULTS

The robust measurement model was characterized by high loadings (0.719 to 0.970), Cronbach's alpha (0.595 to 0.933), and composite reliability (0.807 to 0.968). Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed using AVE and various criteria. The fit of the saturated model was superior. Burnout explained significant variance (0.585) with predictive relevance for all constructs. Notably, the impact of burnout on family conflict and the influence of stress on burnout were found to have significant effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

The study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health among faculty in Saudi Arabia. The robust measurement model demonstrated high reliability and validity, while the saturated model demonstrated excellent fit. These findings contribute to our understanding of psychosocial dynamics, work engagement, and overall health among faculty in Saudi Arabia.

The prevalence of anxiety and related factors among primary and secondary school teachers in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

The working conditions for teachers in Vietnam were characterized by increased workload and pressure, burdening teachers' well-being. The study aims to investigate anxiety prevalence and identify some related factors among primary and secondary school teachers in Hanoi after the first COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. This paper analyzed data of 481 teachers working at ten primary and secondary schools in Hanoi city. Anxiety was measured using the anxiety component of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale 42 items. Multivariable logistics regression was performed to examine anxiety-related factors using SPSS 20.0 at a significant level p less than 0.05. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 42.4% and similar between primary and secondary school teachers. More secondary teachers reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms than primary teachers did (31.6% and 27.7%). Primary school teachers who felt discomfort with their supervisor's assessment, high responsibility for student safety, and ever thinking of leaving their current job were more likely to report anxiety symptoms (OR (95%CI) = 2.8 (1.2-6.5), 3.6 (1.0-12.8), and 2.6 (1.3-5.4), respectively). Meanwhile, the discomfort of caring for many students or problematic students, repetitive work, and disagreement with coworkers were risk factors of anxiety among secondary school teachers (OR (95%CI) = 2.6 (1.2-5.8), 3.2 (1.1-9.2), 3.4 (1.3-8.8), and 3.7 (1.1-12.6), respectively). In conclusion, the prevalence of teachers with anxiety symptoms is on the rise, caused by the characteristics of the job and professional relationships. Tailored support for teachers in different grades is necessary to improve and prevent teachers' anxiety.

Prevalence of stress and its relevance on psychological well-being of the teaching profession: A scoping review

Background

Well-being among teachers contributes toward quality work and better student support. Teachers' well-being persists to be a concern in school settings; there is a lacuna in understanding the concept of well-being among them. This scoping review identifies the stress factors and map their association with the psychological well-being of teachers employed in schools. Additionally, to identify the methodology and the interventions used in reducing teachers' stress and their relevance on their psychological well-being.

Methods

First, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for eligible studies with MeSH terms for stress factors, well-being, and teachers from 2010 to 2022. Identified studies were screened thoroughly and excluded or included based on prior established criteria. Data from the included studies were extracted and summarized according to the study protocol.

Results

Among the 60 studies that met our inclusion criteria, the majority were quantitative, with cross-sectional studies. Several studies focused on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment aspect among teachers. Almost half of the included studies focused on organizational and social pressures such as administration workload, classroom management issues, lack of supervisor and team support, students' behaviour, and pressure from parents. The most used interventions to overcome stress were coping strategies and mindfulness training intervention tools.

Conclusions

The findings from the current scoping review will reveal the different stressors which impact psychological well-being. Focus on the most used interventions to overcome stress among schoolteachers. This will also provide recommendations to regulators and management to identify the factors causing stress among teachers and their relevance to their psychological well-being, overcome employee turnover and absenteeism issues. Also, different alternatives available to reduce the stress may benefit the stakeholders and policymakers to confirm a suitable intervention that will benefit the teaching profession.

The Relationship between Occupational Fatigue and Well-Being: The Moderating Effect of Unhealthy Eating Behaviour

Tech giants are large, well-known internet and technology companies. Employees of such companies are generally expected to work fast and for long periods of time, causing them to experience high occupational fatigue. The relationship between occupational fatigue and well-being is complex. Furthermore, in the context of the workplace, unhealthy eating behaviour may be used as a mechanism to cope with fatigue and stress. This study explored the relationship between occupational fatigue, well-being and unhealthy eating behaviour within this specific professional population. Study 1 used qualitative research methods, in which in-depth interviews were conducted with staff working at 13 tech giants in Shenzhen, China (N = 50). The findings revealed that work-related stress and occupational fatigue are common among employees working for tech giants. Additionally, factors such as unhealthy eating behaviour, workload, working hours and workplace interpersonal relationships were found to influence occupational well-being. Study 2 involved a cross-sessional survey of 237 employees of tech giants. The results indicated that occupational fatigue negatively impacts occupational well-being and that unhealthy eating behaviours play a moderating role between occupational fatigue and occupational well-being. These findings highlight the significance of adopting appropriate measures to improve the situation and cope with the effects of occupational fatigue by managing unhealthy eating behaviours.

Perceived organizational support and occupational commitment: A study among male kindergarten teachers

In the field of early childhood education, research has increasingly paid attention to male kindergarten teachers as research subjects. The shortage of male professionals in this field, coupled with the persistent issue of high turnover rates, presents significant challenges to the preschool education sector. Elevating the retention rate of male kindergarten teachers stands as a vital concern, with occupational commitment emerging as a pivotal factor influencing retention. This study endeavors to construct a moderated mediation model to unveil the potential pathways through which perceived organizational support, occupational well-being, and person-job fit impact occupational commitment. This study administered a questionnaire that included person-job fit, perceived organizational support, occupational well-being, and occupational commitment scales. The study collected 402 valid responses from male kindergarten teachers. The findings reveal several key insights: perceived organizational support has a positive direct influence on occupational commitment; occupational well-being acts as a mediator in the relationship between perceived organizational support and occupational commitment; and person-job fit plays a moderating role, negatively impacting the predictive effect of occupational well-being on occupational commitment. Consequently, perceived organizational support can exert both a direct influence on occupational commitment and an indirect impact, mediated by occupational well-being, with person-job fit moderating the latter pathway. These results contribute to the quantitative literature surrounding male kindergarten teachers, offering valuable insights. Moreover, they furnish policymakers in preschool education and kindergarten management with effective strategies to bolster the occupational commitment of male kindergarten teachers, ultimately addressing the pressing issue of teacher turnover in this field.

Work-related burnout among public secondary school teachers is significantly influenced by the psychosocial work factors: a cross-sectional study from Ethiopia

Introduction

Work-related burnout (WRB) is the degree of physical and psychological fatigue and exhaustion perceived by individuals as related to their work. Even though the condition is widespread across various occupations, teachers inevitably experience high levels of burnout in their work, which can have long-term effects on their health and well-being. However, in developing countries such as Ethiopia, the lack of reliable data on psychosocial hazards, including work-related burnout, often encumbers officials from planning preventive measures. This study investigated the prevalence and contributing factors of work-related burnout among public secondary school teachers in Gondar City, northwestern Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2022. A sample of 588 teachers was recruited using simple random sampling. Work-related burnout was assessed using a standardized seven-item Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI). The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData and analyzed using SPSS. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with work-related burnout.

Results

The overall response rate was 94.05% (N = 553). The majority of participants, 356 (64.4%), were male. The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 38.74 (±7.65) years. This study demonstrated that the prevalence of work-related burnout among school teachers in the past 12 months was 37.4% (n = 207). High job demands, job stress, job dissatisfaction, low role clarity, and student demotivation were found to be the psychosocial work factors that significantly influenced the prevalence of work-related burnout among school teachers.

Conclusion

This study highlights the high prevalence of work-related burnout among public secondary school teachers. Psychosocial work factors such as job demands, job stress, job satisfaction, role clarity, and student demotivation were significant factors influencing work-related burnout. To reduce the condition, it is recommended to take measures to cope with high job demands, improve stress management skills, promote job satisfaction strategies, clarify teachers' responsibilities, and use effective teaching practices to motivate students. In general, addressing psychosocial work factors needs to be central to efforts to prevent teacher burnout.

Emotional Exhaustion and Engagement in Higher Education Students during a Crisis, Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Experience in Italian Universities

Italian university students face an uncertain future characterised by a competitive neoliberal academic environment with high demands and a weak labour market that often cannot hire those who are best qualified. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated students’ uncertainty and negatively affected their well-being. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of academic life during the pandemic and to examine the relationship between study load, reduced academic performance, internet addiction, academic self-efficacy, and engagement and emotional exhaustion. A sample of university students (N = 10,298) from 11 Italian universities completed a self-report questionnaire about their academic and personal lives between May and June 2021. We performed two multiple linear regressions and one ANOVA to highlight gender differences. Results indicate that female students reported lower levels of engagement and academic self-efficacy, and higher levels of exhaustion and study demands compared to male students, while older students generally appear to exhibit higher levels of well-being. Study load, reduced academic performance, and internet addiction showed a negative association with engagement, particularly the first two, and a positive association with exhaustion, while self-efficacy was positively associated with engagement and negatively associated with exhaustion. The results suggest the need to introduce additional forms of support, such as psychological support, internet addiction awareness courses or counseling services.

A Study of Psychometric Instruments and Constructs of Work-Related Stress among Seafarers: A Qualitative Approach

Due to unpredictable and demanding working circumstances and the significant potential for dangers and accidents, seafaring has been characterised as one of the world's riskiest and stressful vocations that lead to physical and mental health problems. However, very few instruments measure work-related stress, particularly in a seafaring context. None of the instruments are psychometrically sound. Therefore, a valid and reliable instrument to measure seafaring work-related stress is indispensable. This study aims to review work-related stress instruments and to explore the work-related stress construct among seafarers in Malaysia. This study uses a systematic review and semi-structured interviews across two phases. In Phase 1, we conducted a systematic review of several databases: Academic Search Ultimate, Emerald Journal Premier, Journal Storage (JSTOR), ScienceDirect, Springer Link, Taylor and Francis Online, and Wiley Online Library based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). In 8975 articles, only 4 (four) studies used psychological instruments and 5 (five) studies used survey questionnaires to measure work-related stress. In Phase 2, we conducted a semi-structured interview with 25 (twenty-five) seafarers, online due to COVID-19 restrictions. The semi-structured interview indicated 6 (six) themes, namely, physical stress, personal issues, social living onboard, technostress, work factors, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, the present study has identified three psychometric instruments for measuring work-related stress among seafarers: The Psychological General Well-Being Index, Perceived Stress Scale, and Job Content Questionnaire. We also found psychometric elements in some of the instruments are questionable, such as theoretical basis, construct development, and inadequate internal consistency value. In addition, this study also found that work-related stress is a multidimensional construct that needs to be studied based on work contexts. The findings of this study can contribute to the body of knowledge of a work-related stress construct in a seafaring context and could help to inform policy makers in the maritime industry. This study suggests a psychological instrument to measure work-related stress among seafarers in future studies.

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.

Significance of the Work Environment and Personal Resources for Employees' Well-Being at Work in the Hospitality Sector

The aim of the study was to investigate whether different elements of the work environment (manifested by job demands, job control, and social support) and personal resources were linked to employees' well-being at work. Based on data gathered from 574 employees in the hospitality industry in Serbia, it was also tested if personal resources, expressed through self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience, could moderate the relationship between work environment and employees' well-being at work. Correlation analyses showed that high job demands had negative effects on employees' well-being, causing negative emotional reactions to their job, while job control and social support developed positive relationships with positive employees' well-being. The moderating effect analysis found that personal resources can fully moderate the relationship between job demands and well-being at work, and job control and well-being at work. On the other side, personal resources were not a significant moderator in the relationship between social support and well-being at work, indicating that even when employees have adequate personal resources, they are not enough to decrease the negative effects of lack of social support on employees' well-being at work. This shows how important the support of supervisors and colleagues is for employees in hospitality.

The impact of job-related stress on township teachers’ professional well-being: A moderated mediation analysis

This study aimed to explore the relationship between job-related stress and township teachers’ professional well-being. Based on Job Demand-Resource Model, this study examined the mediating role of teachers’ professional identity and the moderating role of perceived organizational support in this relationship. A total of 24,276 township teachers in China responded to the Teacher Stress Scale, the Teachers’ Professional Identity Scale, the Teachers’ Professional Well-Being Structure Questionnaire, and the Perceived Organizational Support Scale. Results showed that: (1) the professional well-being of township teachers differed significantly in terms of school type and demographic characteristics like age and gender; (2) job-related stress negatively predicted township teachers’ professional well-being, with teachers’ professional identity playing a mediating role; (3) the relation between job-related stress and teachers’ professional identity was moderated by perceived organizational support; and (4) in the moderated mediation analysis, job-related stress positively predicted township teachers’ professional well-being. These findings indicated that township teachers’ professional well-being was influenced by both organizational and individual factors, which provided a theoretical basis and intervention pathways for improving township teachers’ professional well-being.

Structural equation modeling of the influence of primary school teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards

Most workers, especially teachers experience one form of psychosocial work hazards or the other. In the Nigerian context, there is a high prevalence of psychosocial work hazards and no study has been conducted to ascertain the influence of teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards. This study explored the influence of primary school teachers' demographics on their psychosocial work hazards using the structural equation modeling approach. Drawing from the tenets of Job-Demand-Control-Support theory, a correlational survey research design was used, using a sample of 254 primary school teachers, and the study was based on a quantitative research approach. The study's data were gathered utilizing a 28-item questionnaire adapted from the 30-item Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire developed by Kristensen and coworkers in 2005. The internal consistency reliability index of the questionnaire items was 0.74. The data were analyzed using a combination of frequency, percentage, chi-square test of independent samples, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling. It was revealed that demographic characteristics of teachers correlated with their psychosocial work hazards. However, it was found that only the age and location of the teachers had significant (p < .05) relationships with their psychosocial work hazards. The age and location of the teachers are significant determinants of their psychosocial work hazards. This our findings call for more research on the subject matter as some recent studies have documented that other demographics of teachers had significant relationships with psychosocial work hazards. It was therefore recommended that teachers' demographics should be considered as important factors in the recruitment of teachers.

The Relationship Between Long Working Hours and Stress Responses in Junior High School Teachers: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

Background: Long working hours and mental health problems among teachers are a concern in Japan. More specifically, it has been reported that junior high school teachers tend to work overtime. In this study, examined the working hours of junior high school teachers in public schools and investigated the association between overtime work and stress responses across job titles.

Methods: From June to December 2018, 54,772 teachers in public junior high schools completed a web-based nationwide survey regarding occupational stress and submitted self-evaluated working hours per day of the previous month. Psychological and physical stress responses were assessed using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire.

Results: Results showed that 59.6% of the participants worked 11 h or more per day. Additionally, the length of working hours significantly differed across job titles (χ² (30) = 5295.8, p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.14). With respect to tenured teachers, sex (female), age, taking charge of the class, number of working years in the same school, working hours of 10 to 11 h, 11 to 12 h, 12 to 13 h, and 13 h or more were significantly associated with high stress, compared to those who worked less than 9 h per day. Moreover, for fixed-term teachers, sex (female), age, working hours of 9 to 10 h, 10 to 11 h, 11 to 12 h, 12 to 13 h, and 13 h or more were related with more stress as compared to those who worked less than 9 h per day. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between long working hours and stress response among vice-principals, even though they tended to work the longest hours.

Conclusion: We verified that Japanese junior high school teachers work long hours. Long working hours were associated with stress responses in both tenured and fixed-term teachers, but not in vice-principals. However, vice-principals work the longest hours among teachers, and we suggest that these long working hours may be a hidden problem that is often overlooked.