Work-Family Conflict and Mental Health among Chinese Female Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Effects of Resilience.

Abstract

(1) Background: The mental health of female healthcare workers is at greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased psychological stress and heightened work-family conflict. This study investigated whether resilience, as a protective factor for mental health, can safeguard the well-being of female healthcare workers. This study assessed the mental health of female healthcare workers (n = 431) from a small inland city in Central China, explored the impact of work-family conflict on their mental health, and examined the moderating role of resilience. (2) Methods: The main variables were measured using standard tools administered via an online survey. A one-sample t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression were performed with SPSS. A simple slope test was conducted based on the multiple regression results. (3) Results: The analysis revealed that the mental health level of the surveyed female healthcare workers was significantly lower than the national norm (t = 16.36, p < 0.001). Work-family conflict had a significant negative impact on mental health (β = 0.39, p < 0.001), while the interaction effect of resilience and work-family conflict was significant (β = -0.13, p < 0.05), suggesting a moderating effect. (4) Conclusions: Female healthcare workers exhibited poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resilience remained a protective factor, mitigating the negative impact of work-family conflict on female healthcare workers' mental health.