The role of psychosocial risks in burnout, psychosomatic disorders, and job satisfaction: lineal models vs a QCA approach in non-university teachers

Abstract

This study aims to assess the effect of psychosocial risks and resources on burnout, psychosomatic disorders, and job satisfaction using Hierarchical Regression Modelling (HRM) and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Method. The sample consisted of 9020 non-university public education teachers (M age = 45.33 years, SD = 9.15; 72.5% women). Results. Demands variables (Workload, Emotional labour, Imbalance, and Interpersonal conflict) were better predictors than resources variables (Job autonomy, Social support, and Resources at work). Resources also significantly improved the model’s predictive capacity, except in the case of Indolence. In the QCA results, none of the conditions seems to be necessary. Regarding sufficiency, the combination of the different conditions explains between 44–49% of high levels of Burnout and between 40–47% of low levels of Burnout; between 44–47% of high levels of Psychosomatic disorders and 40–47% of low levels of Psychosomatic disorders; 49% of high Job satisfaction levels and 45–56% of low Job satisfaction levels. Conclusions. The results show that QCA models have better explanatory capacity than HRM. Some variables were not significant in HRM, but they were present in combination with other QCA model variables. The findings contribute to understanding how psychosocial risks affect workers’ health and job satisfaction.