The association between job demands, job resources, and perceived strain among Finnish psychologists
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: job resources, autonomy at work, work engagementAccording to the Working conditions survey for psychologists 2023, over half of Finnish psychologists working as salaried employees experience work-related strain either fairly often or very often.Psychologists are exposed to job demands such as excessive workload, emotionally challenging situations, and role conflicts, all of which are associated with increased strain.Meanwhile, job resources such as autonomy and social support are associated to reduced strain and greater work engagement.Prolonged exposure to strain may increase the risk of burnout among psychologists.This study examines the relationship between job demands and resources and the perceived strain among psychologists.It also studies the mediating role of work engagement between job resources and the strain.This study is based in the job demands-resources theory (JD-R) and its health impairment and motivational processes, the buffering hypothesis, and the mediating role of work engagement.The data consist of quantitative responses from 940 Finnish psychologists, collected in the 2023 survey.Hierarchical linear regression analysis shows that workload and conflicting expectations are positively associated with the strain, whereas job satisfaction and autonomy are negatively associated with the strain.Mediation analysis suggests that job satisfaction and autonomy may be associated with reduced strain both indirectly through enhanced work engagement and directly.These findings suggest that managing psychologists' v work-related strain should involve reducing workload and clarifying job expectations.Strengthening job autonomy and other job resources may enhance work engagement, which, according to previous research, is associated with reduced strain and improved occupational well-being.Sisältö 1 Johdanto ......
Author: Böhm, Meri
Institution: University of Eastern Finland
Language: Finnish
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7215183398