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Emotional exhaustion and mental health problems among employees doing “people work”: the impact of job demands, job resources and family-to-work conflict

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Abstract

Objective

This study investigates the relationship between four job characteristics and family-to-work conflict on emotional exhaustion and mental health problems.

Methods

Multiple regression analyses were performed using data from 1,008 mental health care employees. Separate regression analyses were computed for high and low patient interaction jobs.

Results

Different job characteristics as well as family-to-work conflict were associated with emotional exhaustion and mental health problems in each job type. The relationship between family-to-work conflict and emotional exhaustion was mitigated by social support from colleagues for those who worked in low patient interaction jobs.

Conclusion

In addition to general and specific stressors, it is worthwhile to include home-related stressors that interfere with the work domain in stress research.

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Notes

  1. For an overview of the differences in demographic characteristics of both job types see Table 1.

  2. Detailed information about the norm scores can be obtained from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgments

Data collection for the present study was supported by a research grant from GGZ Nederland, an organization representing all Mental Health Care Institutions in the Netherlands.

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Correspondence to Geertje van Daalen.

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van Daalen, G., Willemsen, T.M., Sanders, K. et al. Emotional exhaustion and mental health problems among employees doing “people work”: the impact of job demands, job resources and family-to-work conflict. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 82, 291–303 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0334-0

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