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Vilser M, Gentele S, Mausz I. Putting PhD students front and center: an empirical analysis using the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1298242. [PMID: 38333427 PMCID: PMC10851940 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1298242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction A doctorate is associated with numerous challenges for many PhD students, including financial insecurities, little support from supervisors, and time pressure. The present study explores well-being of PhD students via the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model as well as the potential protective factor resilience. Method A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,275 PhD students from Germany. Data was collected at two measurement points over a six-week follow-up period. Results As hypothesized, overcommitment was found to mediate the relationship between ERI and perceived stress while no mediation effect was found for work engagement. Resilience strengthened the relationship between ERI and overcommitment, especially for an increasing unfavorable ERI, and counterintuitively did not act as a protective factor. Discussion Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, providing a deeper understanding on the ERI model and the negative coping pattern overcommitment in the context of PhD students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Vilser
- Center for Leadership and People Management, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Selina Gentele
- Center for Leadership and People Management, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Irmgard Mausz
- Center for Leadership and People Management, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Business Psychology and HR, International School of Management, Munich, Germany
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Pienkowski T, Keane A, Castelló Y Tickell S, de Lange E, Hazenbosch M, Khanyari M, Arlidge WNS, Baranyi G, Brittain S, Kapoor V, Mohan V, Papworth S, Ravi R, Smit IPJ, Milner-Gulland EJ. Supporting conservationists' mental health through better working conditions. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14097. [PMID: 37042093 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity conservation work can be challenging but rewarding, and both aspects have potential consequences for conservationists' mental health. Yet, little is known about patterns of mental health among conservationists and its associated workplace protective and risk factors. A better understanding might help improve working conditions, supporting conservationists' job satisfaction, productivity, and engagement, while reducing costs from staff turnover, absenteeism, and presenteeism. We surveyed 2311 conservation professionals working in 122 countries through an internet survey shared via mailing lists, social media, and other channels. We asked them about experiences of psychological distress, working conditions, and personal characteristics. Over half were from and worked in Europe and North America, and most had a university-level education, were in desk-based academic and practitioner roles, and responded in English. Heavy workload, job demands, and organizational instability were linked to higher distress, but job stability and satisfaction with one's contributions to conservation were associated with lower distress. Respondents with low dispositional and conservation-specific optimism, poor physical health, and limited social support, women, and early-career professionals were most at risk of distress in our sample. Our results flag important risk factors that employers could consider, although further research is needed among groups underrepresented in our sample. Drawing on evidence-based occupational health interventions, we suggest measures that could promote better working conditions and thus may improve conservationists' mental health and abilities to protect nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pienkowski
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Aidan Keane
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Emiel de Lange
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Munib Khanyari
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India
| | - William N S Arlidge
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gergő Baranyi
- Centre for Research on Environment, Society and Health, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Vena Kapoor
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India
| | - Vik Mohan
- Blue Ventures Conservation, Bristol, UK
| | - Sarah Papworth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Roshni Ravi
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, India
| | - Izak P J Smit
- Scientific Services Garden Route and Frontier Node, South African National Parks, George, South Africa
- Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
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Heming M, Angerer P, Apolinário-Hagen J, Nater UM, Skoluda N, Weber J. The association between study conditions and hair cortisol in medical students in Germany - a cross-sectional study. J Occup Med Toxicol 2023; 18:7. [PMID: 37254201 DOI: 10.1186/s12995-023-00373-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical students often experience high levels of stress due to adverse study conditions, which may have adverse health consequences. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has been described as a physiological marker for chronic stress and might thus help to identify students under stress and examine the study conditions being responsible for long-term physiological stress responses. This study therefore investigated the association between study conditions and HCC in a sample of medical students. METHODS Fifty-five students from a medical school in Germany completed a paper-based questionnaire and had hair samples collected between May 2020 and July 2021. Study conditions were assessed with student versions of questionnaires based on the Job-Demand-Control-Support model (StrukStud, 25 items) and Effort-Reward Imbalance model (Student ERI, nine items). HCC of two centimeters closest to the scalp were determined by a cortisol luminescence immunoassay. Linear multiple regression analyses were performed to examine associations between study conditions and HCC. RESULTS Demands (B = 0.23, p = 0.002), effort (B = 0.12, p = 0.029) and the effort-reward-ratio (B = 0.28, p = 0.007) were positively associated with HCC in separate regression analyses, adjusted for age and sex. Only the association between demands and HCC remained significant when all components of the respective questionnaire were considered in the same model (B = 0.22, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION The results suggest that adverse study conditions may be associated with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress response as reflected by increased HCC. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm these cross-sectional results and examine effects of more prolonged stress due to adverse study conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Heming
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Peter Angerer
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Urs Markus Nater
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Research Platform The Stress of Life (SOLE) - Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nadine Skoluda
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Research Platform The Stress of Life (SOLE) - Processes and Mechanisms underlying Everyday Life Stress, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeannette Weber
- Institute of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Weigelt O, Seidel JC, Erber L, Wendsche J, Varol YZ, Weiher GM, Gierer P, Sciannimanica C, Janzen R, Syrek CJ. Too Committed to Switch Off-Capturing and Organizing the Full Range of Work-Related Rumination from Detachment to Overcommitment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3573. [PMID: 36834267 PMCID: PMC9967488 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Work-related thoughts during off-job time have been studied extensively in occupational health psychology and related fields. We provide a focused review of the research on overcommitment-a component within the effort-reward imbalance model-and aim to connect this line of research to the most commonly studied aspects of work-related rumination. Drawing on this integrative review, we analyze survey data on ten facets of work-related rumination, namely (1) overcommitment, (2) psychological detachment, (3) affective rumination, (4) problem-solving pondering, (5) positive work reflection, (6) negative work reflection, (7) distraction, (8) cognitive irritation, (9) emotional irritation, and (10) inability to recover. First, we apply exploratory factor analysis to self-reported survey data from 357 employees to calibrate overcommitment items and to position overcommitment within the nomological net of work-related rumination constructs. Second, we apply confirmatory factor analysis to self-reported survey data from 388 employees to provide a more specific test of uniqueness vs. overlap among these constructs. Third, we apply relative weight analysis to assess the unique criterion-related validity of each work-related rumination facet regarding (1) physical fatigue, (2) cognitive fatigue, (3) emotional fatigue, (4) burnout, (5) psychosomatic complaints, and (6) satisfaction with life. Our results suggest that several measures of work-related rumination (e.g., overcommitment and cognitive irritation) can be used interchangeably. Emotional irritation and affective rumination emerge as the strongest unique predictors of fatigue, burnout, psychosomatic complaints, and satisfaction with life. Our study is intended to assist researchers in making informed decisions on selecting scales for their research and paves the way for integrating research on the effort-reward imbalance and work-related rumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Weigelt
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - J. Charlotte Seidel
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lucy Erber
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes Wendsche
- Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Section 3 Work and Health, D-01099 Dresden, Germany
| | - Yasemin Z. Varol
- Educational Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60629 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gerald M. Weiher
- Educational Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60629 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Petra Gierer
- Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Hagen, D-58084 Hagen, Germany
| | | | - Richard Janzen
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christine J. Syrek
- Business Psychology, University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, D-53359 Rheinbach, Germany
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Wang MF, He Q, Liu Z, Du YL, Wu C, Lang HJ, Du J. The relationship between perceived organizational support and insomnia in Chinese nurses: The Serial multiple mediation analysis. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1026317. [PMID: 36591078 PMCID: PMC9802667 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1026317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nurses are in high-pressure, high-load, and high-risk environment for a long time, and their insomnia cannot be ignored. Insomnia not only has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of nurses, but also on the efficiency and quality of nursing work. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the multiple mediating effect of psychological capital, effort-reward ratio, and overcommitment in the relationship between perceived organizational support and insomnia among Chinese nurses. Methods A cross-sectional study has been carried out in a tertiary grade A hospital in Shandong Province, China from March 2021 to May 2021. The demographic questionnaire, Perceived Organization Support Questionnaire, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Chinese version Effort-Reward Imbalance, Questionnaire and Athens Insomnia Scale were used for data collection. SPSS PROCESS 3.4 macro program developed by Hayes was used to test the serial multiple mediation. Descriptive analysis, independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analyses, ordinary least-squares regression, and the bootstrap method were used for data analysis. Results 658 valid questionnaires were collected (81.2%). Nurses' perceived organizational support was positively correlated with psychological capital (r = 0.455, p < 0.001), and was significantly negatively correlated with effort-reward ratio (r = -0.318, p < 0.001), overcommitment (r = -0.328, p < 0.001), and insomnia (r = -0.358, p < 0.001); Psychological capital was negatively correlated with effort-reward ratio (r = -0.275, p < 0.001), overcommitment (r = -0.339, p < 0.001), and insomnia (r = -0.402, p < 0.001), respectively; effort-reward ratio and overcommitment were significantly positively correlated with insomnia (r = 0.379, p < 0.001; r = 0.466, p < 0.001), respectively. In the model of perceived organizational support-psychological capital-effort-reward ratio-insomnia, the overall mediating effect was -0.080 (95%CI: -0.109 ~ -0.058), and the mediating effect of psychological capital was -0.050, accounting for 34.30% of the total effect; the mediating effect of effort-reward ratio was -0.024, accounting for 16.49% of the total effect; the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and effort-reward ratio was -0.007, accounting for 4.49% of the total effect. In the model of perceived organizational support-psychological capital-overcommitment-insomnia, the overall mediating effect was -0.085 (95%CI: -0.109 ~ -0.064), and the mediating effect of psychological capital was -0.042, accounting for 28.64% of the total effect; the mediating effect of overcommitment was -0.029, accounting for 19.81% of the total effect; the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and overcommitment was -0.015, accounting for 10.14% of the total effect. Conclusion Perceived organizational support had direct negative influence on insomnia. Psychological capital and effort-reward ratio/overcommitment acted as chained mediating factor could partially relieve insomnia symptoms related to perceived organizational support. It is suggested to improve the level of organizational support and psychological capital of nurses, and reduce the effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment of nurses, so as to effectively decline and deal with nurses' insomnia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Fang Wang
- Nursing Department, Xi’an Jiaotong University City College, Xi’an, China
| | - Qing He
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- School of Nursing, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yan-Ling Du
- School of Nursing, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Chao Wu
- School of Nursing, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Hong-Juan Lang
- School of Nursing, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China,*Correspondence: Hong-Juan Lang,
| | - Juan Du
- School of Nursing, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China,Juan Du,
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Gender moderates the association between chronic academic stress with top-down and bottom-up attention. Atten Percept Psychophys 2022; 84:383-395. [PMID: 35178679 PMCID: PMC8888365 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-022-02454-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Research on the relationship between chronic stress and cognition is limited by a lack of concurrent measurement of state-anxiety, physiological arousal, and gender. For the first time, we assessed the impact of these factors on top-down/conscious (simple and choice reaction time) and bottom-up/reflexive (saccadic reaction time) measures of attention using CONVIRT virtual-reality cognitive tests. Participants (N = 163) completed measures of academic stress (effort-reward imbalance; ERI) and state-anxiety while heart-rate variability was recorded continuously throughout the experiment. Gender moderated the association between academic stress with the top-down measures (b = -0.002, t = -2.023, p = .045; b = -0.063, t = -3.080, p = .002) and higher academic stress was associated with poorer/slower reaction times only for male participants. For bottom-up attention, heart rate variability moderated the relationship between academic stress and saccadic reaction time (b = 0.092, t = 1.991, p = .048), and only female participants who were more stressed (i.e., ERI ≥ 1) and displayed stronger sympathetic dominance had slower reaction times. Our findings align with emerging evidence that chronic stress is related to hyperarousal in women and cognitive decrements in men. Our findings suggest that higher ERI and sympathetic dominance during cognitive testing was associated with poorer bottom-up attention in women, whereas for men, academic stress was related with poorer top-down attention irrespective of sympathovagal balance.
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