Workplace bullying, psychological distress, resilience, mindfulness, and emotional exhaustion

Purpose Although workplace bullying has often been considered a significant source of health-related problems, only a handful of studies have deeply examined this relationship. This paper aims to fill this gap by inspecting the direct as well as indirect relationships between bullying and emotional exhaustion. This study also explores the buffering role of religion between job insecurity and emotional exhaustion. Design/methodology/approach This correlational paper used the quantitative method of data collection (N = 102) from employees in Malaysia and used SmartPLS to analyze the data. To operationalize workplace bullying as the second-order factor, partial least squares was used to estimate the two-stage model through the repeated use of a manifest variable. Findings The result of the current study showed that workplace bullying has a positive impact on job insecurity as well as emotional exhaustion while also having a positive indirect effect on emotional exhaustion through job insecurity. Moreover, the result of this study reveals that religion has a moderating (buffering) influence on the relationship between job insecurity and emotional exhaustion. Research limitations/implications The study merely applied self-report measures, thus potentially involving the common method variance problems. Practical implications Human resource professionals must be aware that employees who are exposed to bullying actions may consider emotional exhaustion and job security needs to be restored among targets. For instance, they need to ensure that no unwanted and illegitimate relocation or alternation of work task has occurred. Furthermore, it is significant to encourage employees to regularly attend religious services because religious involvement could foster mental health, in part by lowering the risk of exposure to stressful life events such as job insecurity. Originality/value This study could be beneficial for organizations and researchers looking to address emotional exhaustion, security and bullying in a context broader than physical health and may further supplement the discussions around workplace bullying, mental health and religion.

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The moderating effect of leader member exchange on the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration ◽

10.1108/apjba-11-2018-0205 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 146-158 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Youngkeun Choi

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Survey Method ◽

Leader Member Exchange ◽

Content Type ◽

Job Tension ◽

Workplace Ostracism ◽

Member Exchange ◽

The Relationship

Purpose Based on the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees. And depending on the leader member exchange (LMX) theory, it assumes that the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees is moderated by the LMX. Design/methodology/approach For this, this study used a survey method and multiple regression analyses with multi-source data from 226 male Korean employees and their supervisors. Findings The results suggest the following. First, workplace ostracism was positively associated with job tension, emotional exhaustion and depressed moods at work for male employees. Second, there was a stronger positive relationship between workplace ostracism and job tension, or emotional exhaustion for male employees with low, as opposed to those with high, levels of LMX. Originality/value This study is the first one to examine the moderating effect of LMX on the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees.

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Workplace Bullying, Psychological Distress, and Job Satisfaction in Junior Doctors

Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics ◽

10.1017/s0963180103121111 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 91-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

LYN QUINE

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Emotional Abuse ◽

Workplace Bullying ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Systematic Research ◽

Junior Doctors ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Victims Of Bullying

Workplace bullying has been recognized as a major occupational stressor since the mid 1980s. A number of different terms have been used to describe it, including employee abuse, emotional abuse, mistreatment and neglect at work, mobbing, and harassment. In the United Kingdom, a number of reports from trades unions illustrating the pain, psychological distress, physical illness, and career damage suffered by the victims of bullying first drew attention to the issue. However, academic interest in the issue began only recently, and there are still few empirical studies. The most systematic research comes from Scandinavia, where there is strong public awareness and antibullying legislation.

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Psychological distress, burnout, and coping strategies among Nigerian primary school teachers: a school-based cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-12397-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Eyuche Lawretta Ozoemena ◽

Olaoluwa Samson Agbaje ◽

Levi Ogundu ◽

Amaka Harry Ononuju ◽

Prince Christian Iheanachor Umoke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Primary School ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Personal Accomplishment ◽

School Teachers ◽

Primary School Teachers ◽

High Level ◽

And Coping

Abstract Background The teaching profession is highly stressed job. A high level of stress is associated with poor health outcomes, such as burnout and psychological distress. Therefore, teachers’ use of coping styles becomes imperative. However, relatively little is known about primary school teachers’ psychological distress, burnout, coping strategies, and associated factors in Nigeria. The study investigated psychological distress, burnout, coping strategies among primary schools, and associated factors in Nigeria. Methods A total of 264 teachers aged 20–59 years participated in the study between May 2019 to October 2019. Questionnaires on psychological distress, burnout, coping strategies, and demographic profile form were used for data collection. Factors associated with psychological distress, burnout, and coping strategies were identified using t-test, univariate ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, Chi-square test, and hierarchical linear regression analysis. Results Of 264 participants enrolled for the study, 253 responded, giving a response rate of 95.8%. The prevalence of psychological distress and burnout was 69.9% (176/253) and 36.0% (91/253), respectively. Sex (β = 0.158), a high level of emotional exhaustion (β = 0.193) and reduced personal accomplishment (β = 0.358), adoption of problem-focused strategies (β = 0.904), and dysfunctional strategies (β = 0.340) were positively associated with psychological distress. Age (β = − 0.338), academic qualification (β = − 0.210), and income level (β = − 0.146) were inversely associated with psychological distress, which together explained 51.5% of the total variance. Psychological distress (β = 0.275 vs. β = 0.404) was significantly associated with emotional exhaustion (EE) and reduced personal accomplishment (PA) and explained 11.4 and 24.2% of the variance in EE and reduced PA, respectively. Conclusions The high prevalence of psychological distress and burnout among teachers should receive urgent attention. Teachers’ training curricula should include developing interpersonal skills, stress management abilities, and resilience to equip them for the job. Also, teacher training curricula should integrate mental health promotion interventions.

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Reducing workplace burnout: The relative benefits of cardiovascular and resistance exercise

10.7287/peerj.preprints.659v1 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel J Bretland ◽

Einar B Thorsteinsson

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Resistance Exercise ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Relative Effectiveness ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Well Being ◽

Small Sample ◽

Personal Accomplishment

Objectives. With 43% of Australians experiencing occupational burnout therapies for burnout reduction are paramount to organisational efficiency. Exercise has potential to provide a multilevel and cost effective burnout intervention. The current study aims to extend the literature by comparing cardiovascular with resistance exercise to assess their relative effectiveness against well-being, perceived stress, and burnout. Design. Participants were 49 (36 females and 13 males) previously inactive volunteers ranging in age from 19 to 68 that completed a four week exercise program of either cardiovascular, resistance, or no exercise (control). Method. Participants were measured against the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results. After four weeks of exercise participants had greater positive well-being and personal accomplishment, and concomitantly less psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion. Cardiovascular exercise was found to increase well-being and decrease psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion. Resistance training was noticeably effective in increasing well-being and personal accomplishment and to reduce perceived stress. Our preliminary findings revealed large effect sizes suggesting that exercise may be an effective treatment for burnout. However, given a small sample size further research needs to be conducted. Conclusion. Different types of exercise may thus help protect against burnout as exercise seems to increase well-being and personal accomplishment while decreasing psychological distress, perceived stress, and emotional exhaustion. Organisations that want to address burnout can assist by improving their employees’ access to regular exercise programs.

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