Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being Among Cafeteria Workers in the UAE: Associations with Working Hours and Weekly Leave
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This quantitative descriptive and correlational study examined mental health and psychological well-being among cafeteria workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with particular attention to daily working hours and weekly leave. Data were obtained from 93 cafeteria workers through a structured questionnaire containing seven GHQ-based mental-health items, six Ryff-based positive well-being items, five work-condition items, and three open-ended questions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach?s alpha, Spearman correlations, Welch independent-samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and a Kruskal-Wallis sensitivity analysis. The sample showed substantial occupational distress: the seven-item mental-distress composite had a mean of 3.46 on a 1-4 scale, while the six-item positive well-being composite had a mean of 2.06 on a 1-5 scale. Most respondents (82.8%) reported working more than 12 hours per day, and 93.5% reported no weekly leave. Daily working-hour category was positively associated with mental distress (ρ = .289, p = .005). Weekly leave was associated with psychological well-being in the Spearman analysis (ρ = .208, p = .045), but the weekly-leave group contained only six respondents and the Welch comparison was not statistically significant. Evidence for an association between working hours and psychological well-being was inconsistent across statistical procedures. The findings indicate substantial reported occupational distress in the collected sample, while the cross-sectional design, non-probability sampling, and adapted questionnaire limit causal and population-level conclusions.
Author: Ibrahim K
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214701563