Negative Work Experiences Research Articles

Predicting PTSD among labour ward staff: The role of burnout, intent to leave, and emotional support

Abstract Background Healthcare professionals in delivery rooms frequently encounter stressful situations. Following an examination of how midwives coped and functioned during the unfamiliar and chaotic period of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is crucial to understand their challenges and the support they receive to enhance well-being and patient care. This study aimed to examine the relationship between burnout, intentions to leave, and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms among healthcare professionals, and to identify predictors of PTSD. Methods We employed a mixed-methods design, consisting of a survey of 196 midwives and gynecologists assessing burnout, intentions to leave, exposure to negative work experiences, and PTSD. Additionally, we conducted 15 semi-structured interviews and 13 interviews with labour ward head nurses. Results Most participants experienced difficult events in the delivery room or multiple such events, reporting insufficient emotional support. The main themes identified were stress, fear, anxiety, and frustration. Burnout and a lack of emotional support were significant predictors of PTSD symptoms, with participants highlighting the need for more support to manage complex situations. Discussion Addressing burnout through prevention and intervention programs is essential. Emotional support plays a crucial role in mitigating PTSD symptoms, enhancing resilience and well-being among midwives and gynecologists. Implications for Nursing Management: Understanding the psychological impact of stressful situations on healthcare professionals is crucial for guiding policies and interventions aimed at maintaining staff psychological well-being. Midwives’ managers can leverage this research to identify actions that improve staff resilience and cohesion during crises. Strengthening the resilience of health teams is pivotal in providing optimal health services. Key messages • Burnout and insufficient emotional support are key predictors of PTSD among healthcare workers in labour wards. • Enhancing support and resilience for midwives and gynecologists is crucial for their well-being and patient care.

Healthcare workers’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative analysis of a text message-based NHS workforce support line

BackgroundThe National Health Service (NHS) is suffering from a workforce crisis of mental and physical sickness and attrition following the COVID-19 pandemic. An in-depth understanding of healthcare workers’ (HCWs) experiences...

Blurred lines: The spillover and crossover effects of interpersonal experiences at work on family behaviors and well-being

Drawing on the spillover-crossover model, we examine both the enriching and conflicting effects of interpersonal experiences at work on the family domain using experience sampling methodology with 567 daily observations from 70 couples. As a positive spillover-crossover process, we find that employees' help provision at work indirectly and positively influences couples' relationship satisfaction, employees' life satisfaction, and spouses' life satisfaction via support provision to the spouse at home. As a negative spillover-crossover process, employees' experiences of interpersonal conflict at work indirectly and negatively influence couples' relationship satisfaction and employees' life satisfaction via undermining behaviors toward the spouse at home. We further theorize and find that the negative spillover-crossover process is less pronounced when spouses are more responsive to employees' disclosures of negative work experiences. Overall, this study provides new insights regarding behavioral pathways underlying interpersonal models of the work-family interface, with important practical implications for working couples and the organizations employing them.

Being Active in Working Life at Age 60, 66, and 72

This study examines associations between participation in working life and sociodemographic, health, and work environment factors among people aged 60, 66, and 72 years. The agestratified logistic regression analysis used data from 2001–2003 (T1) and 2013–2015 (T2) derived from The Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care. Further, interaction variables with time*independent variables explored differences in those associations over time. We found positive associations between being active in working life and male gender (age 66 and 72), higher education (all age groups), higher professional level (age 60 and 66), better health (age 60 and 66), less negative work experiences (mainly age 60), light level of physical activity at work (age 60 and 66), higher work satisfaction (age 60 and 66), and time: that is,T2 vs.T1 (all age groups). Not only health status but also work environment factors were shown to play a significant role in being active in working life at older ages. Our findings verify that authorities need to develop reforms aiming at keeping older people active in working life from a heterogeneous perspective.

Experience and impact of stigma in people with chronic hepatitis B: a qualitative study in Asia, Europe, and the United States

BackgroundPeople with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) commonly experience social and self-stigma. This study sought to understand the impacts of CHB-related stigma and a functional cure on stigma.MethodsAdults with CHB with a wide range of age and education were recruited from 5 countries and participated in 90-minute qualitative, semi-structured interviews to explore concepts related to CHB-associated stigma and its impact. Participants answered open-ended concept-elicitation questions regarding their experience of social and self-stigma, and the potential impact of reduced CHB-related stigma.ResultsSixty-three participants aged 25 to 71 years (15 from the United States and 12 each from China, Germany, Italy, and Japan) reported emotional, lifestyle, and social impacts of living with CHB, including prejudice, marginalization, and negative relationship and work experiences. Self-stigma led to low self-esteem, concealment of CHB status, and social withdrawal. Most participants stated a functional cure for hepatitis B would reduce self-stigma.ConclusionsCHB-related social and self-stigma are widely prevalent and affect many aspects of life. A functional cure for hepatitis B may reduce social and self-stigma and substantially improve the health-related quality of life of people with CHB. Incorporating stigma into guidelines along with infectivity considerations may broaden the patient groups who should receive treatment.

Motives for self-employment among people with disabilities in a Swedish context

People with disabilities are more often excluded from working life than others; one way of promoting inclusion in the labor market is self-employment. The aim of this article is to add to the knowledge about the establishment motives for starting one’s own business among people with disabilities and reduced working capacity in Sweden. Data were collected from 16 people with disabilities across Sweden. Ten semi-structured interviews with self-employed people with disabilities and one group interview with six blind and visually impaired people were conducted. Themes of establishment motives were identified through thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: flexibility and self-determination; economic motives; negative work experience; contributing something; and being an entrepreneur. Results are related to the concepts of entrepreneurial ecosystem, necessity and opportunity, and identity positions as an entrepreneur. The motives for self-employment have not previously been studied to any great extent in the Swedish context. This article is a contribution to this internationally emerging field of research. For professionals and policymakers, the study highlights the need not only to focus on the individual perspective but also to support and to develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem simultaneously.

Between Trust and Ambivalence: How Does Trainee Teachers’ Perception of the Relationship With Their Mentors Explain How Trainee Teachers Experience Their Work?

The study aims to identify profiles of trainee teachers in terms of their stress and work experiences and to uncover profile differences in regard to dropout intentions and perceived relationships between trainee teachers and their mentors. Based on data from 1,756 German trainee teachers, three distinct stress and work experience profiles could be identified. Trainee teachers with high levels of stress and negative work experiences exhibit higher dropout intentions and experience their relationship with their mentors as less transparent, fair and trusting, and more ambivalent compared to trainee teachers with low levels of stress and positive work experiences. The results underline the importance of the relationship between mentors and trainee teachers for the professional development of future teachers.

CEO power and Characteristics on firm performance in Indonesian state-owned enterprises

Financial performance is an important indicator in a company in measuring the level of viability of the company. This study aims to analyze the effect of CEO power (proxied by CEO ownership), and characteristics (CEO educational background and work experience) on firm performance as proxied by ROA with the moderating variable of the percentage of the number of independent commissioners. The population in this study were all companies officially listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015-2019. Then the sampling system used purposive sampling and obtained 16 state-owned companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The results show that in model 1, CEO ownership variable has no effect on company performance, while the educational background variable has a significant negative effect and work experience variable has a significant positive effect on firm performance. In model 2, only the educational background variable has a significant effect, and the moderating variable does not strengthen the relationship between all independent variables on the company's financial performance.

College Graduates' Negative Life Experiences, Coping Strategies and Enlightenment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in China.

The current study aimed to explore comprehensively college graduates' negative life experiences, coping strategies, and enlightenment in a qualitative way. This was a qualitative study. Purposeful sampling was used to select 31 college graduates majoring in various subjects from a Chinese University. The one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted online through Tencent QQ/WeChat and were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A phenomenological approach was used to guide this research in the data collection and analysis. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes across interviews around their negative life experiences, coping strategies, and enlightenment. College graduates' negative life experiences were mainly focused on three aspects: negative work experience (eg, lack of adaptation, busy schedule, low salary), negative personal life experience (eg, multiple pressure, psychological problems, the hardship of life), and negative social life experience (eg, the incomprehension of those around you, complex interpersonal relationship, social complexity). The coping strategies they used can be classified into two categories: emotion-focused strategies (eg, accepting reality, self-persuasion, keeping a positive attitude), and problem-focused strategies (eg, goal-setting, asking for help to solve the problem, persistence). As for life enlightenment, six themes emerged: accept life, strive to life, love life, cherish life, recognize life, and learn to live. College graduates' negative experiences came from multiple levels, and they use multiple coping strategies to deal with the challenges. Our results provide important guidance for researchers and policymakers to design effective and targeted intervention programs to improve college graduates' coping abilities in response to negative life experiences and help them better transition from school to work. Specifically, future research and intervention to promote college graduates' mental health should target various social-ecological levels, focus on promoting coping from an ecological perspective, as well as facilitate post-traumatic growth to help them grow from negative life experiences and cope positively.

Women in the World of Digital Games: The Case of Slovakia

This research paper aims to provide a picture of women’s participation in various positions in the field of digital games in Slovakia, such as creators of game content, women involved in eSports, the gaming industry, casual gamers as well as women working in the field of digital game education. Based on theoretical knowledge and qualitative in-depth interviews with seven women working in various positions in the gaming industry, the women’s positive and negative work experiences, and the problems and obstacles linked to their gender were identified. The research is specifically focused on the situation of women in the gaming industry in Slovakia. The results show that female gamers and streamers face negative behaviour from their fellow players and viewers which may result in an array of negative consequences. Findings also indicate that the low representation of women in some areas of the gaming industry is a consequence of prevailing gender roles in society. Furthermore, women’s participation in eSports and competitive gaming is limited due to toxic meritocracy, prevailing masculinity and sexism.

Nonkululeko Gobodo: a challenger challenged

Learning outcomes This case study aims to ensure that, students should be able to recognise the behaviours that influence the in-member out-member categorisation that transpires in the workplace, both from the leader’s perspective and that of the followers; determine and understand the relevance of forming interpersonal relationships in the workplace and that interpersonal relationships create fundamentally positive or negative work experiences and impact on career opportunities in the workplace; gain an understanding of the internal bias and subjective comfort that leaders must actively overcome to establish an environment in which the entire team becomes in-group members; and be able to assess the contextual variables that contribute to the negative or positive aggravation of the leader–member exchange. Case overview/synopsis It was 16 October 2014, and Nonkululeko Gobodo, Executive Chair of accounting firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo, was looking to her younger sister, Notemba Dlova, for emotional support, as she sought to address an important issue that was on the agenda of the firm’s board of directors’ meeting the following day. Tensions between her and Victor Sekese, Chief Executive Officer of the firm, were mounting, and a number of the directors were unhappy with the status quo. “How do you think I should address the issue?” she asked Dlova. Both sisters knew that at stake was Gobodo’s future at the firm she had battled so hard to build up in the face of racial and gender stereotypes. Complexity academic level The case study is appropriate for use in a range of postgraduate courses aimed at Master’s in Management and Master of Business Administration (MBA)-level students. It is also suitable for use in postgraduate diplomas in business and executive education short courses. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

Meta-regression analyses of relationships between burnout and depression with sampling and measurement methodological moderators.

Despite 35 years of study, burnout researchers have failed to reach a consensus about whether burnout is distinct from depression. This review compiled reports containing zero-order correlations between scores on burnout, depression, and other measures of negative affect (NA) based on (a) reviews published by Kahill (1988), Glass and McKnight (1996), and Bianchi et al. (2015b), and (b) a search of PsycInfo using "depression" and "burnout" as search terms to find relevant studies published after 2014. The resulting data set contained 69 studies with 196 burnout-depression correlations based on 46,191 participants. We found an overall effect size of .492 between scores on burnout and depression measures (essentially equivalent to the .52 value reported in Koutsimani et al.'s, 2019, review) and an effect size of .546 between the Maslach Burnout Inventory emotional exhaustion scale and depression. Similarly, a correlation of .53 between burnout and NA measures is similar in size to the .46 correlation found by Koutsimani et al. Moderator analyses indicated that a larger burnout-depression correlation was associated with a higher proportion of female participants in a study, older participants, participants who had worked longer, and burnout measures with higher reliability estimates. The effects of age and years employed on the burnout-depression relationship suggest that repeated and negative work experiences are required for burnout to develop to the extent that its effects overlap with symptoms of depression. Conceptualizing the empirical relation between burnout and depression as a single point estimate may miss the more complex empirical picture. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The Antecedents, Consequences, and Mediating Role of Workload among Chinese Courier Drivers

The growth of e-commerce in China can be regarded as a significant factor in the increase in occupational stress and the voluntary turnover of courier drivers. This paper aims to investigate selected occupational stress factors behind the turnover intentions of Chinese courier drivers. Using data from 229 couriers employed at the largest delivery companies in China, this study applies structural equation modelling to investigate not only the direct relationships between job-stress factors and turnover intentions but also the extent to which workload indirectly mediates turnover intentions among couriers. The results indicate that a combination of high workload with social stressors leads to turnover intentions. In particular, it was found that workload completely mediated the relationship between both the independent variables and the intention to leave the industry, suggesting that when workloads are high, the net effect of negative work experiences with regard to verbal aggression and ambiguous customer expectations increases the likelihood of an intention to leave the industry. Although restricted to China, this is one of the first studies investigating the effects of courier drivers’ job stressors which highlights the importance of delivery companies working with staff to mitigate job stressors to reduce turnover intention.

Return to work of transgender people: A systematic review through the blender of occupational health.

Background and objectivesReturn to work (RTW) or work resumption after a work absence due to psychosocial or medical reasons benefits the well-being of a person, including transgender people, and is nowadays a major research domain. The objective is to examine, through an occupational lens, the literature reporting objective RTW outcomes and experiences in transgender people to (a) synthesize what is known about return to work (full-time, part-time, or self-employed) and (b) describe which gaps persist.Methods & sampleSeveral databases and the gray literature were explored systematically. Studies between November 1, 2006 and March 1, 2021 revealing RTW quantitative and qualitative data of adult transgender people were eligible. This review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019128395) on April 30, 2019.ResultsAmong the 14,592 articles initially identified, 97 fulfilled the inclusion criteria which resulted in 20 being analyzed. Objective RTW outcomes, such as number of RTW attempts, time to RTW or number of sick days, were lacking; thus, other relevant work outcomes were reported. Compared to the general population, lower employment rates and more economic distress were observed, with trans women in particular saying that their work situation had deteriorated. Research on positive RTW experiences was highlighted by the importance of disclosure, the support from especially managers and coworkers who acted as mediators, personal coping, and a transition plan along with work accommodations. Negative work experiences, such as demotion, lay-offs, and discrimination were often prominent together with a lack of knowledge of trans issues among all stakeholders, including occupational health professionals.Conclusion & recommendationsFew studies have explored employment characteristics and experiences of transgender people (TP). RTW is a dynamic process along with transition in itself, which should be tailored through supportive policies, education, a transition plan and work accommodations with the help of external experts. Future studies should include more occupational information and report RTW outcomes to enhance our knowledge about the guidance of TP and to make way for interventional studies.

Negative Emotions Induced by Work-Related Information Technology Use in Hospital Nursing.

There is a lack of research into the implications of information technology-related issues for nurses' experiences and well-being at work. However, negative work experiences can generate negative emotions, which, in turn, can negatively affect well-being. Despite this, research has not systematically addressed negative emotions generated by work-related information technology use in hospital nursing. Drawing on data collected through focus groups and interviews with a total of 15 ward nurses, this paper identifies the discrete negative emotions that emerge from work-related information technology use in hospital nursing and maps the identified emotions onto the perceptions associated with and triggering them. The analysis was qualitative and included process, emotion, and causation coding alongside extensive memo writing. We identified six primary negative emotions: frustration, moral distress, alienation, psychological distress, anxiety, and perplexity. All of the identified emotions can be associated with four types of experiences of feeling hindered: mental effort, inability to carry out a task, doing extra or unnecessary work, and failing to complete a task successfully. The framework we present may support healthcare organizations in identifying potentially harmful information technology-related configurations in their infrastructure and implementing appropriate measures to foster nurses' well-being at work.

Battling Burnout at the Frontlines of Health Care Amid COVID-19.

Nursing is a physically and emotionally demanding profession. Grueling job roles and challenging work environments, specifically in acute or critical care settings, place health care professionals at risk of burnout. Burnout in health care professionals results from a chronic negative work experience, leading to job dissatisfaction and, ultimately, poor patient outcomes. Symptoms and prevalence of burnout can be alleviated by implementing individual-focused strategies and minor modifications in work environments, job demands, and responsibilities. Currently, risk for burnout is increasing as COVID-19 challenges health care systems in which advanced practice nurses and other health care professionals struggle continuously to deliver high-quality patient care. In this article, the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 are considered and an overview is provided of burnout phenomenon, its causal factors, and its consequences. With consideration of current evidence in literature, I discuss some suggested strategies to improve resilience and facilitate well-being among health care professionals at individual and organizational levels.

Human "resources"? Objectification at work.

People behave differently when at work than not at work; for example, they are less interested in making close friends and use more transactional language (networking vs. socializing). These examples hint at a broader phenomenon: that people engage in more objectification-treating people akin to objects-in work contexts than non work contexts. We propose that objectification is more prevalent at work because people engage in more calculative and strategic thinking (i.e., making decisions by computing the costs and benefits). Seven studies (N = 2,712) test this. In Study 1, participants objectified the same individuals more when they were pictured at work (e.g., in an office) than not at work (e.g., in a coffee shop). In Study 2, there was more objectification when the same event was framed as more (vs. less) work-related. Studies 3a and 3b (experience-sampling studies with 2,300 data points) show that working adults objectify others more during work than non work interactions and demonstrate which situational characteristics enhance objectification. Study 4 manipulates the proposed mechanism: Participants nudged to think less calculatively and strategically showed a reduced tendency to objectify others in work contexts. Considering consequences, job applicants in Study 5 who read company mission statements containing more calculative language expected more objectification and were less interested in applying. Moreover, employees who perceived more objectification in their workplace reported more negative work experiences (e.g., feeling lower belonging, experiencing more incivility; Study 6). Together, these studies provide insight into how objectification arises, where it occurs, and its consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Employee age moderates within-person associations of daily negative work events with emotion regulation, attention, and well-being

ABSTRACT Does advanced age give employees an advantage in face of negative work experiences through their higher emotion-regulation competence? Across days, the occurrence of negative work events is associated with fluctuations in attention, motivation, and well-being. This study examined whether these within-person associations are reduced at advanced employee age, indicating higher resilience. The study further investigated the role of emotion-regulation goal activation and strategy use in these associations. Across two work weeks, 123 employees aged 22 to 63 years provided 1,092 daily reports on affective work events, emotion regulation, attentional focus, persistence, and end-of-day affect. On days with negative-events, participants reported higher activation of emotion-regulation goals, lower attentional focus, and higher negative affect at the end of the workday. Effects were intensified on days with highly negative events. Yet, within-person associations of high-intensity events with emotion-regulation goals, attention, and end-of-day negative affect were reduced at higher age. Further analyses that accounted for age differences in emotion-regulation goals suggested that these play a role in age-related reductions in the event-related disturbance of attentional focus and well-being. There was no evidence of age-differential strategy use on eventful days. Findings are in line with proposed mechanisms underlying older employees’ resilience to daily stress.

A Qualitative Assessment of the Impact of the Rural Setting on Healthcare Professionals’ Work Experiences

There is no question that rural patients face a number of healthcare-related obstacles; however, rural healthcare challenges may also place a significant burden on healthcare professionals who treat these patients. Cancer care is already complex and challenging, but oncology professionals in rural settings may face additional challenges as a result of unique issues their patients face. Very little research has specifically assessed how distinct characteristics of the rural setting and patient population may impact rural oncology professionals’ work experience. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of the rural setting on oncology professionals’ work experience in hopes to identify future areas to target for recruitment and retention purposes. We utilized a qualitative case study design. Multiple healthcare professionals, including oncologists, nurses, social workers, and administrators, were interviewed, and a number of challenges and benefits to providing rural healthcare were identified. Overall, we provide a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to understanding positive and negative work experiences associated with providing rural care. We also provide a foundation for future research to better understand direct connections between rural healthcare, and challenges and benefits faced as part of oncology professionals’ work experience.

Midlife Work and Women\u2019s Long-Term Health and Mortality

Although paid work is a well-established predictor of health, several gaps in our knowledge about the relationship between adult work patterns and later health and mortality remain, including whether these benefits persist over long periods and whether they are dependent on subjective experiences with work. We draw on more than three decades of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women to assess how labor force participation over a period of 20 years during midlife is related to mental and physical health and mortality over the following 16–25 years. We find that consistent work earlier in life continues to predict improved health and longevity over many years as women enter late life, and this relationship does not differ between women with positive and those with negative subjective work experiences. These findings add to knowledge about how key adult social experiences are related to health as individuals enter later life.