Psychological Work Research Articles

Job satisfaction, work engagement and psychological distress among nurses: A mediated moderation model

Nurses play a vital role in the healthcare system. Their job satisfaction and work engagement can significantly impact patient outcomes and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the system. This research examines the role of work engagement as a mediating factor in the relationship between job satisfaction and psychological distress among nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted in UAE hospitals. The study was performed between August and December 2022. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale measured work engagement, while stress, anxiety, and depression were measured using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21). The findings show significant (p< 0.05) relationships between psychological distress, work engagement, and job satisfaction. The structural equation modeling shows that work engagement mediated the relationships between psychological distress and job satisfaction (indirect effect 0.000, p< 0.001; direct effect −0.283, p< 0.001; total effect 580, p< 0.001) and between psychological distress and job satisfaction (indirect effect 0.000 p < 0.01; direct effect −0.226, p< 0.001; total effect − 0.509 p< 0.001). Nursing policies and healthcare organizations should promote resilience, work engagement, and job satisfaction among nurses. Doing so can improve nurses’ overall health and well-being, leading to better patient outcomes and a more efficient healthcare system.

The effects of psychological capital, work engagement and job autonomy on job performance in platform flexible employees

The performance of platform flexible employees is a core element that contributes to the rapid growth of the sharing economy platform. It is crucial to explore strategies to improve employees' performance with the growing competition among these platforms. Only a handful of research evidence has been found evaluating platform flexible employees’ psychological capital and work engagement to improve their performance. In order to remedy the gap, we draw on self-determination theory to develop a moderated mediation model, which examines how psychological capital affects platform flexible employees’ job performance. We employed hierarchical regression analysis to test the theoretical model and carried out two rounds of surveys, resulting in 474 valid paired questionnaires. The questionnaire assessed the psychological capital, work engagement, job performance, and job autonomy of flexible platform employees. The results indicate that work engagement plays a mediating role between psychological capital affects platform flexible employees’ job performance. Moreover, job autonomy moderates the mediating effect. The findings not only contribute to the literature on employees’ psychological capital and job performance, but also broaden the research scope of self-determination theory, and provide new ideas for improving the job performance of platform flexible employees.

The Use of the Game Method in Psychological Work with Clients Within the Framework of the Transactional-Analytical Approach

The Use of the Game Method in Psychological Work with Clients Within the Framework of the Transactional-Analytical Approach

People, places, things and communities: expanding behaviour settings theory in the twenty-first century.

Trends and developments in recent behavioural and cognitive sciences demonstrate the need for a well-developed theoretical and empirical framework for examining the ecology of human behaviour. The increasing recognition of the role of the environment and interaction with the environment in the organization of behaviour within the cognitive sciences has not been met with an equally disciplined and systematic account of that environment (Heft 2018 Ecol. Psychol. 30, 99-123 (doi:10.1080/10407413.2018.1410045); McGann 2014 Synth. Philos. 29, 217-233). Several bodies of work in behavioural ecology, anthropology and ecological psychology provide some frameworks for such an account. At present, however, the most systematic and theoretically disciplined account of the human behavioural ecosystem is that of behaviour settings, as developed by the researchers of the Midwest Psychological Field Station (see Barker 1968 Ecological psychology: concepts and methods for studying the environment of human behavior). The articles in this theme issue provide a critical examination of these theoretical and methodological resources. The collection addresses their theoretical value in connecting with contemporary issues in cognitive science and research practice in psychology, as well as the importance of the methodological specifics of behaviour settings research. Additionally, articles diagnose limitations and identify points of potential extension of both theory and methods, particularly with regard to changes owing to the advance of technology, and the complex relationship between the individual and the collective in behaviour settings work. This article is part of the theme issue 'People, places, things, and communities: expanding behaviour settings theory in the twenty-first century'.

Research on the Working Path of Adolescent Psychological Health Education Under the Background of China&amp;apos;s New Education Reform

Adolescence is a critical period for rapid development in behavior, personality, and intelligence. Currently, the frequent occurrence of psychological crises among Chinese adolescents is detrimental to the comprehensive development of talents, the implementation of quality-oriented education, and the harmonious development of society. Based on multi-level questionnaire surveys and interview studies, this paper finds that China&amp;apos;s education sector is increasingly emphasizing psychological health education for adolescents, continuously improving supporting mechanisms. The initial system of psychological health services in schools has taken shape, with psychological health training benefiting both schools and families, and autonomous attention from adolescents groups has increased. However, issues persist, including inadequate psychological health curricula, incomplete linkage mechanisms, imperfect family support, insufficient teacher staffing and re-education training, and inadequate identification and rescue of students&amp;apos; psychological crises. Therefore, this paper argues that systematically and deeply promoting the multi-faceted psychological health education model of &amp;quot;family-school-society,&amp;quot; adopting multiple measures to collaboratively build and optimize coordination mechanisms, and establishing a more robust and effective approach to adolescent psychological health work, aligns with the direction of educational evaluation reform in the new era, fosters a favorable social atmosphere, and is the inevitable path to better promote the healthy growth and talent development of adolescents.

Effect of Psychology, Organizational Culture and Motivation on Employee Performance: The Case of PT Bumi Andalas Permai

This research aims to determine the influence of psychological factors, organizational culture and motivation on employee performance at PT. Bumi Andalas Permai. This type of research is associative. The variables researchers use are psychological factors, organizational culture, work motivation and performance. The sample in this research was employees of PT. Bumi Andalas Permai is located in the Simpang Heran River - Beyuku II River Forest Group, OKI Regency, South Sumatra Province, with 117 people selected using cluster sampling. The data used in this research is primary data collected through a questionnaire. The data analysis technique used is Multiple Linear Regression. The results of this research show that (1) psychological factors, organizational culture, and motivation have a positive and significant effect on employee performance, (2) psychological factors have a positive and significant effect on employee performance, (3) organizational culture has a positive and significant effect on employee performance, (4) motivation has no significant effect on employee work motivation

Supporting Rights to Emotional Support Animals as an Accommodation: A Scoping Review of Professional Guidelines for Verifying Eligibility

ABSTRACT When the emotional support provided by a person’s animal helps to mitigate an aspect of a disability, that person has a right to have their animal, typically referred to as an emotional support animal (ESA), within their housing as a disability accommodation under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) in the United States. Health and mental health care professionals (henceforth referred to as “health-care professionals”) are considered a reliable source for verification of eligibility for ESAs as a disability accommodation, and guidelines have emerged within and across professions to help guide assessment and documentation. These guidelines are published in the form of peer-reviewed journal articles and position statements from professional groups, such as primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists. We used scoping review methods to identify guidelines across psychiatry, medicine, nursing, counseling psychology, and social work, then analyzed the guidelines using a competency-focused framework. and compared them to the legal requirements of ESA documentation. Guidelines often reflected the values underlying the profession, but agreement was generally seen in most areas of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Recommendations for integrative best practice guidelines, across professions, are proposed along with specific recommendations for writing ESA letters.

Mencapai work engagement pada karyawan : Bagaimana peranan psychological well-being dan work life balance?

The purpose of this study is to examine whether psychological well-being and work life balance are related to work engagement in employees. The population in this study were employees in Surabaya City. The sample size for this study was 287 people, as determined by the Isaac and Michael table, with an error rate of 10%. The approach used is quantitative correlational, with simple random sampling technique. The measurement tools used were the Scale of Psychological Well-being (SPWB) (18 items), the Work/Nonwork Interference and Enhancement Scale (17 items), and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) (17 items) to measure work engagement. The results of this study include multiple linear regression, t-test, variable means, and effective contribution. The results showed that psychological well-being and work life balance significantly increased work engagement (F = 52.664; r = 0.520; R Square = 0.271; P &lt; 0.000). Psychological well-being and work life balance can be used as techniques for employees to build and improve employees' work engagement with the company and their work

Home and away: personal autonomy limitation in the liminal work context of fly-in-fly-out camps and psychological distress

ABSTRACT Fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) camps are liminal work environments in which work and personal life are blended. In such context, an important characteristic is the limitation to one’s freedom to carry out actions that usually occur outside of work contexts (e.g., choosing when to eat dinner), which we refer to as ‘personal autonomy limitation’. The role of personal autonomy limitation for FIFO workers’ mental health has not been systematically investigated at a larger scale. We test whether personal autonomy limitation predicts workers’ psychological distress and their psychological work detachment while they are at their residential home. We also investigate the moderating role of roster ratios (i.e., the ratio of days workers spend on site and at home) on these hypothesized associations. Online survey data from 1547 Australian resources sector FIFO workers showed that higher levels of perceived personal autonomy limitation in FIFO camps predicted greater psychological distress, with this effect partially mediated by lower detachment from work whilst at home. Roster ratio did not moderate the direct or mediated relationships between personal autonomy limitation in FIFO camps and worker psychological distress. The findings identify personal autonomy limitation as a work design characteristic that is relevant to FIFO and other workers’ mental health.

Thinking with Spinoza, Locke, and Dewey about self-control, education, and democracy

In the 17th century Spinoza and Locke wrote about education as aiming at self-control. In the 20th century Dewey argued for a similar view in Experience and education, where he described education as enabling people to have control over their own lives. These three philosophers all saw self-control as involving both the ability to make well-advised decisions and the competences necessary to follow them through. In the first half of the paper their theories are rephrased and explained. After that, the elements they have in common are analysed and supported with references to recent philosophical and psychological work on self-control. It is also argued that these common elements apply not only to individuals but also to groups and communities. The concluding section is a reflection on the relevance of what they said to modern discourse on educational aims and education for democracy.

Loneliness without distress, chosen isolation (solitude) at the workplace, and mental health and job performance: a cross-sectional study of Japanese employees.

While loneliness and social isolation in the workplace affect the mental health and job performance of employees, the effects of loneliness without distress and solitude (i.e., chosen isolation) on these outcomes are unclear. The cross-sectional association was examined by using online survey of full-time employees in Japan (n=846). The results showed that the "loneliness with distress" group had significantly higher psychological distress and lower job performance than the other groups. Work engagement was lower both in the "loneliness with distress" and "loneliness without distress" groups, compared to the "non-loneliness" group. The "unchosen isolation" and the "solitude" groups had poorer scores of psychological distress, work engagement, and work performance, compared to the "non-isolation" group. The preliminary findings showed that loneliness without distress and solitude were associated with poor levels of mental health and job performance and should become a target of mental health promotion interventions in the workplace.

The Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Psychological Contract and Work Performance of Employees in Zhejiang E-Commerce Enterprises

In order to investigate the mechanism of psychological contract on work performance of employees in e-commerce enterprises, the theoretical model of psychological contract, work dedication and work performance is constructed based on social exchange theory and self-determination theory. By empirically analysing the questionnaires collected from 408 employees of e-commerce enterprises in Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, using Smart PLS 4 software, it was found that the psychological contract has a significant positive impact on the work performance of e-commerce enterprises' employees, and the degree of work engagement plays a partially intermediary role between the psychological contract and work performance. E-commerce enterprises need to improve employees' satisfaction with the fulfilment of the psychological contract, so as to ultimately improve employee engagement and achieve the ultimate goal of improving employee work performance.

Exploring the Psychological Health and Work Efficiency of Enterprise Employees under the EAP Perspective

Against the backdrop of rapid global economic advancement, intensifying corporate competition has made employee mental health a pivotal factor affecting both organizational performance and employee well-being. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), as structured mental health support services, have garnered increasing attention from corporate entities and academia alike. EAPs not only aim to address employees' psychological issues but also strive to enhance their work efficiency and overall satisfaction. By offering psychological counseling, stress management, and other comprehensive services, EAPs effectively alleviate workplace stress, promote mental well-being, and consequently elevate corporate productivity and competitiveness. Research underscores a significant positive correlation between mental health and work efficiency. Maintaining a healthy psychological state facilitates sustained high performance among employees, mitigating absenteeism and turnover stemming from psychological issues. As businesses increasingly prioritize employee mental health, the global adoption of EAPs is becoming more widespread. However, enterprises face various challenges in implementation, such as safeguarding employee privacy, low participation rates, and resource constraints. Thus, exploring the impact of EAPs on employee mental health and work efficiency, analyzing challenges encountered during implementation, and devising corresponding strategies are crucial for optimizing management practices and enhancing operational efficiency in enterprises.

Organizational compassion, employees' mental health, commitment and engagement in the context of COVID-19: a serial mediation analysis

PurposeThe study examines the effects of organizational compassion during the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers' mental health and, consequently, their commitment and work engagement. The study tests a serial mediation model for the effects of organizational compassion on employee engagement via mental health and the three components of organizational commitment.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional sample (N = 436) completed an online questionnaire towards the end of the prolonged lockdown of schools in Uganda (2021–2022). Serial mediation analysis in PROCESS Macro was employed to test the hypotheses.FindingsAs hypothesized, organizational compassion was significantly related to teachers' mental health, the three components of organizational commitment, and employee engagement. A double mediation path of the effects of organizational compassion on employee engagement via mental health and affective commitment was significant.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight how organizational compassion benefits employees’ psychological health and work attitudes and behavior. The findings draw attention to the need to design compassion practices that boost the emotional value of organizational compassion to the individual over the economic and normative value.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature on organizational compassion outcomes by focusing on employee engagement and the underlying mediating mechanisms. The study is also one of the few that has examined the effects of organizational compassion on the three components of organizational commitment.

A structural equation model of the impacts of nurses' psychological safety and psychological contract breach.

To investigate the effects of psychological contract breach and psychological safety on health and well-being outcomes among nurses. A cross-sectional study. Data were gathered from members of the Finnish social and healthcare workers' trade union (n = 4575) in February 2023. This study focused on data from 3260 nurses. Structural equation modelling was employed to firstly explain burnout and work engagement and subsequently health and well-being outcomes in relation to perceived psychological contract breach and psychological safety. Younger male nurses, those with lower-level university degrees, and nurses employed in public hospitals reported experiencing more psychological contract breaches. Conversely, older nurses and those working in private organizations perceived a higher level of psychological safety. Psychological contract breaches were associated with increased burnout and reduced work engagement, while psychological safety contributed to lower burnout and higher work engagement. Moreover, burnout was linked to health problems and diminished mental well-being, whereas increased work engagement led to fewer health problems and improved mental well-being. The final model demonstrated excellent fit. Breaches in the psychological contract, followed by distrust, and anger significantly burden nurses, detrimentally affecting their well-being at work. Psychologically safe working environments, consequently, improve nurses' well-being at work and should be promoted within work teams. Nursing managers could receive training to understand the consequences of, and practices for supporting, a beneficial psychological work climate. The study examined psychological burden and resource factors at work, finding that psychological contract breaches increased burden and led to negative well-being outcomes. In contrast, psychological safety emerged as a positive resource for health and well-being. These results offer benefits for nurses, managers and organizations. The study was reported following the Strengthening of the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology guidelines. No patient or public contribution.

Engaging leadership in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic and followers’ engagement and quality of care

Purpose Investigating the role of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic in maintaining the well-being and performance of the medical personnel, as frontline workers, is of major importance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between engaging leadership in health care during COVID-19 pandemic and followers’ work engagement and performance and to test the mediating role of followers’ basic psychological need satisfaction in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample consisting of 200 health-care employees. Data were collected starting with May 2020 and ending with November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants reported on the engaging leadership of their direct supervisor and on their own psychological need satisfaction, work meaningfulness, work engagement and quality of care. Findings The positive association between engaging leadership and followers’ work engagement was fully mediated by followers’ basic needs satisfaction. The relationship between engaging leadership and followers’ quality of patient care was not supported. Work meaningfulness did not mediate the link between engaging leadership and followers’ engagement. Practical implications By meeting followers’ needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, engaging leaders can stimulate followers’ work engagement during outbreaks and other similar crises. Managers in health care may maintain a high level of followers’ work engagement during crises if they adopt an engaging leadership style. Originality/value The study investigated for the first time the role of meeting the psychological needs of health-care workers by leaders during a health-care crisis.

PROCRASTINATION AND ANXIETY AMONG PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN EAST MALAYSIA

Procrastination is prevalent and pernicious but not entirely understood. It has been seen as a universal phenomenon that hinders people’s ability to accomplish their goals. Procrastination can be defined as lack or absence of self regulated performance and the behavioural tendency to delay what is necessary to reach a goal. It appears to be a troubling phenomenon and yet human beings have been procrastinating for centuries. University students are the backbone of society. They need to be aware of their procrastination attitude so that they could tackle the problem. Anxiety on the other hand is a negative feeling. Studies show that a relationship exists between procrastination and anxiety. However very few studies investigate procrastination and anxiety, especially among Psychology and Social Work students in the public university in Malaysia. In view of this, the objectives of this study are to examine: (1) the difference in procrastination by gender; (2) the difference in anxiety by gender; (3) the relationship between procrastination and anxiety. This study managed to get 304 samples for the objectives above. The difference of gender was tested by t-test; while the relationship between procrastination and anxiety was tested by correlation. The results of this study indicated that female students engaged more in major procrastination, whereas male students engaged more in moderate procrastination. However, there were no significant differences on procrastination and anxiety between gender. The finding also showed a significant relationship between procrastination and anxiety.

ТИПОЛОГИЯ СУБЪЕКТИВНОГО ВОСПРИЯТИЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО НАСИЛИЯ В СТАРШЕМ ПОДРОСТКОВОМ ВОЗРАСТЕ

The present article discusses the results of the study of subjective perception of psychological violence by different characterological types. The application of the results of this study allows to increase the level of safety of the educational environment, to build psychological and peda-gogical work in the field of psychological education of parents, as well as to teach teachers con-structive forms of interaction with children, taking into account their subjective perception of psychological violence depending on the characterological type. In modern psychological sci-ence, the study of psychological violence and personal traumatization is a cutting-edge direction in the field of providing a safe environment for both students and educators. Psychological vio-lence represents various forms of behavior, consciously or unconsciously aimed at causing psy-chological pain using verbal or nonverbal communication. Under the forms of psychological vio-lence we understand threats, insults, manipulation, ignoring and so on. Such forms of psycholog-ical violence have an extremely destructive effect on a person, contributing to the development of borderline conditions and such mental disorders as depression, complex post-traumatic disor-der, etc. Understanding the peculiarities of perception of psychological violence will allow educational psychologist to significantly improve the quality of counseling work with both parents and teachers, which increases the chances of building the safest educational environment. Further research in the direction of studying the peculiarities of subjective perception of psychological violence will allow scientists to study in more detail the issues of traumatization and correction in connection with the peculiarities of characterological types.

THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGY IN PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE: A participant observation experience report

Hospitalization in childhood can be characterized as a stressful and distressing event for patients and families, especially in cases of illnesses or chronic conditions that require pediatric palliative care (PPC). The hospital psychologist who works in PPC contributes, among other things, to minimize the suffering resulting from illnesses. The purpose of this article was to report the experience of participant observation, as a field activity of a Psychology guided research practice discipline, about the work in PPC of a psychologist in a public hospital in the South of Brazil. This is an observational study, of a qualitative and descriptive nature, of six episodes of participant observation recorded by a Psychology undergraduate in a field diary and analyzed through categorical content analysis. During the observations, the psychologist worked with nine companions and eleven children in hospitalized PPC. It was found that the most required activities for the psychologist were the following categories: listening and supporting family members, to express emotions and encourage self-care; mediation between family members and the healthcare team, for better communication; playful activities with children, to distract and form bonds; and doing records in medical records, to inform and guide the team. In the field of PPC, the psychologist's work must be based on a biopsychosocial perspective of individuals, with the purpose of promoting comprehensive and humanized care. However, considering the complexities present in PPC and the tensions inherent to the hospital context, the psychologist must also be aware of his self-care needs during his professional practice.

Barriers to school attendance as experienced by young people and their parents: A Narrative Oriented Inquiry

Aim:Although there is a complex interplay between bio-psycho-social-cultural factors in the development of school attendance difficulties, research into the family experience of Barriers to School Attendance (BtSA) is limited. The aim of this study was to enhance understanding of the family experience of BtSA by exploring how those affected tell their stories.Method:Adapted Narrative Oriented Inquiry (NOI) was used to explore the stories told by participants. Guided narrative interviews were undertaken with two families who held ongoing experiences of BtSA. Data was analysed using holistic-form and categorical-content analysis.Findings:Holistic-form analysis reflected how transition to secondary school was key for each family. This was followed by a deterioration in the young people’s mental health and by challenges within the home. Key themes were interpreted within the narratives, in relation to the experiences of BtSA: aspects of school; individual experiences and the impact on the family system; and the parental experience.Limitations:Findings are reflective of the individual experiences of the families, so further research with families from varying backgrounds is needed to explore the family experience of BtSA further.Conclusions:The key themes discussed here remain pertinent to the post-pandemic understanding of BtSA. The idiographic data supports the notion that hearing individual stories allows for an in-depth understanding of a complex phenomenon. This informs the work of educators and psychologists to assess and understand the contexts and interactions of BtSA across the individual, family and school levels, aiming to optimise interventions appropriate to family systems and their functioning.