Mental health and workplace factors: comparison of the Ghanaian and Australian mining industry.

BACKGROUND: Mining is a global industry and contributes significantly to international economies. This study seeks to compare the patterns of psychological distress, job demand-control, and associated characteristics between two countries (Australia/Ghana) to increase understanding of cross-cultural factors relevant to mental health in this industry. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was used. Eight coal mines in Australia and five gold mines in Ghana. A total of 2622 mineworkers participated in this study. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI) and help-seeking questionnaire. RESULTS: Ghanaian mineworkers reported increased psychological distress compared to Australian mineworkers; Job demands outweighed control among Ghanaian mineworkers but was associated with lower risk of psychological distress compared to Australian mineworkers; Ghanaian mineworkers were significantly less likely to drink alcohol at risky levels but this was associated with higher psychological distress; Increased social network was associated with decreased psychological distress for both countries. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify cultural and geographical differences in the socio-demographics, workplace factors, psychological distress, and alcohol use in both countries. Cross-cultural occupational workplace factors and mental health issues are highlighted. Potential workplace interventions applicable in comparable settings are recommended.

Mental health and mining: the Ghanaian gold mining story.

PURPOSE: There is limited empirical evidence regarding mental health in workplace settings in Africa. Gold mining is a major industry in Ghana, and this study investigated mental health-related symptoms and the factors contributing to such symptoms among employees in the Ghanaian. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design study was used to collect data from employees working in the mining industry across five gold mines in Ghana. All mining employees were invited to participate in the survey. Sociodemographic and work characteristic data (including job content) was collected alongside measures of recent mental health-related symptoms (Kessler-10). Questionnaires were administered in English. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of 1165 participants (response rate: 78%), 87% were male and 13% were female. The majority of the participants were in the 25-34 age category. Psychological distress was categorized as low (62.6%), moderate (24.3%), high (10.0%) and very high (3.2%). Shift type (working 12 h or more), physical working conditions and financial factors were significantly associated with psychological distress. Job resources and job demands was not significantly associated with levels of psychological distress. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to explore mental health in the Ghanaian gold mining industry. The findings identify workplace factors associated with psychological distress in the mining industry in Ghana and support the importance of promoting mental health as part of workplace health and safety strategy to improve mental health across the mining population.

The moderating effect of perceived organizational support in the relationship between emotional labour and job attitudes: A study among health professionals.

AIM: The present study was set out to establish the link between emotional labour (surface and deep acting) and job attitudes (job satisfaction organizational commitment) by introducing perceived organizational support as a moderating variable. DESIGN: The study made use of a cross-sectional design by sampling three hundred and forty-two (342) nurses and midwives from six health facilities in Ghana. METHODS: The study employed a quantitative approach to examine the relationships between the study variables. RESULTS: The study disclosed that whereas surface acting related negatively with job satisfaction but not with organizational commitment, deep acting did not relate significantly with both job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Perceived organizational support as a moderating variable showed a significant moderating effect between surface acting and job attitudes. However, Perceived organizational support moderated the relationship between deep acting and organizational commitment but not job satisfaction. The findings pose much contextual relevance to health professionals where emotional regulations are core responsibilities of health care.

Interpersonal Fairness, Willingness-to-Stay and Organisation-Based Self-Esteem: The Mediating Role of Affective Commitment.

This study examines the direct and indirect effects of interpersonal fairness on employees' willingness-to-stay and organisation-based self-esteem through affective commitment among manufacturing workers in Tema, Ghana. Using the survey design, 300 manufacturing workers in Tema were conveniently sampled for the study. The confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Results indicated that affective commitment partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal fairness and employees' willingness-to-stay. Affective commitment also fully mediated the interpersonal fairness-organisation-based self-esteem relationship. Results further showed that organisation-based self-esteem partially mediated the affective commitment and willingness-to-stay relationship, such that, an increase in organisation-based self-esteem leads to a decrease in employees' willingness-to-stay. These findings emphasised the roles of interpersonal fairness and affective commitment in organisations, where affective commitment increases as a result of an increase in interpersonal fairness and makes employees have an intention-to-stay. The findings imply that employees who are very confident and have higher organisation-based self-esteem stand lower chances of staying in their current organisations. This study is the first to examine how affective commitment transfers the effects of interpersonal fairness unto employees' intention-to-stay among manufacturing workers in Ghana.

Turnover intention and job fit among nurses in Ghana: Does psychological climate matter?

AIM: The study examined the relationship between turnover intention and job fit among Registered Nurses in Ghana. Further analysis was done to explore how nurses' psychological climate has an impact on the relationship between job fit and turnover intention. DESIGN: The study adopted the quantitative research approach and the cross-sectional survey design in collecting data on the variables of interest. METHODS: Purposive sampling was used to select the eight hospitals from both the public and the private sectors. In all, 322 Registered Nurses participated in the study and the data were analysed using simple and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: The results of the study showed no statistically significant relationship between nurses' turnover intention and job fit. However, psychological climate was found to fully mediate the relationship between turnover intention and job fit among the participants studied. Finally, the finding adds to theory by proposing a review and an extension of the Attraction-Selection-Attrition theory by Schneider (Personnel Psychology, 40, 1987, 437).

Juggling family and professional caring: Role demands, work-family conflict and burnout among registered nurses in Ghana.

AIM: Juggling work and family responsibilities remains an important concern for both employees and organizations. This study aimed at examining work and family demands as predictors of work-family conflict and the relationship between work-family conflict and burnout among registered nurses in Ghana. DESIGN: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. METHODS: Data were collected from a sample of 134 registered nurses selected from five public hospitals in Accra through convenience sampling. Participants responded to structured questionnaires that assessed, among others, experiences of work-family conflict and burnout. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses showed that long work hours and weekend schedules were associated with higher levels of work-to-family conflict, while the number of older dependants at home was positively related to family-to-work conflict. Family-to-work conflict was positively related to burnout, while work-to-family conflict was not significantly related to burnout.

Pressure for health service delivery and its implications on safety behaviour of health care practitioners.

AIM: The study aim to examine whether management commitment and prioritization of safety at the hospital had any relationship with health care workers' safety behaviour under pressure to deliver health care. BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa faces a human resource crisis in the health sector, leading to a compromise of the safety practices of nurses and other care providers. Hence there is a need to probe the influence of pressure for health service delivery on safety behaviour. METHODS: The sample consisted of 295 respondents consisting of nurses, medical doctors and biological scientists from two teaching hospitals (Tamale Teaching Hospital and Komfu Anokye Teaching Hospital). A quantitative research design approach was used. Simple linear regression was carried out to test the hypotheses formulated. RESULTS: The results showed that pressure for health service delivery negatively affected health care workers' safety behaviour whereas management commitment to safety and priority of safety at the hospital were positively related to safety behaviour. CONCLUSION: Priority and the commitment of management to safety can influence the safety behaviour of nurses and other caregivers who are under pressure to deliver quality health care to the great number of patients. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Upholding high safety standards by management can create an enabling environment that would compel nurses and other caregivers to provide apt safety behaviours which in the long run can improve the quality of safety of nurses and other care providers.

Do Personality and Organizational Politics Predict Workplace Victimization? A Study among Ghanaian Employees.

BACKGROUND: Workplace victimization is considered a major social stressor with significant implications for the wellbeing of employees and organizations. The aim of this study was to examine the influences of employees' personality traits and organizational politics on workplace victimization among Ghanaian employees. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 631 employees selected from diverse occupations through convenience sampling. Data collection tools were standardized questionnaires that measured experiences of negative acts at work (victimization), the Big Five personality traits, and organizational politics. RESULTS: The results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that among the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness had significant, albeit weak relationships with victimization. Organizational politics had a significant positive relationship with workplace victimization beyond employees' personality. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that compared with personal characteristics such as personality traits, work environment factors such as organizational politics have a stronger influence on the occurrence of workplace victimization.

Occupational Health and Safety and Organizational Commitment: Evidence from the Ghanaian Mining Industry.

BACKGROUND: This study seeks to examine the relationship and impact of occupational health and safety on employees' organizational commitment in Ghana's mining industry. The study explores occupational health and safety and the different dimensions of organizational commitment. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used for this study. The respondents were selected based on simple random sampling. Out of 400 questionnaires administered, 370 were returned (77.3% male and 22.7% female) and used for the study. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to determine the relationship and impact between the variables. RESULTS: The findings of this study revealed positive and significant relationship between occupational health and safety management, and affective, normative, and continuance commitment. Additionally, the results revealed the significant impact of occupational health and safety on affective, normative, and continuance commitment. CONCLUSION: Management within the mining sector of Ghana must recognize the fact that workers who feel healthy and safe in the performance of their duties, develop emotional attachment and have a sense of obligation to their organization and are most likely committed to the organization. Employees do not just become committed to the organization; rather, they expect management to first think about their health and safety needs by instituting good and sound policy measures. Thus, management should invest in the protection of employees' health and safety in organizations.

Occupational Health and Safety Management and Turnover Intention in the Ghanaian Mining Sector.

BACKGROUND: The mining industry is considered as one of the most dangerous and hazardous industries and the need for effective and efficient occupational health and safety management is critical to safeguard workers and the industry. Despite the dangers and hazards present in the mining industry, only few studies have focused on how occupational health and safety and turnover intentions in the mines. METHOD: The study suing a cross-sectional survey design collected quantitative data from the 255 mine workers that were conveniently sampled from the Ghanaian mining industry. The data collection tools were standardized questionnaires that measured occupational health and safety management and turnover intentions. These scales were also pretested before their usage in actual data collection. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient showed that a negative relationship existed between dimensions of occupational health and safety management and turnover intention; safety leadership (r = -0.33, p < 0.01); supervision (r = -0.26, p < 0.01); safety facilities and equipment (r = -0.32, p < 0.01); safety procedure (r = -0.27, p < 0.01). Among these dimensions, safety leadership and safety facility were significant predictors of turnover intention, (ß = -0.28, p < 0.01) and (ß = -0.24, p < 0.01) respectively. The study also found that turnover intention of employees is heavily influenced by the commitment of safety leadership in ensuring the effective formulation of policies and supervision of occupational health and safety at the workplace. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that safety leadership is crucial in the administration of occupational health and safety and reducing turnover intention in organizations.

Examining psychosocial and physical hazards in the Ghanaian mining industry and their implications for employees' safety experience.

INTRODUCTION: In addition to hazardous conditions that are prevalent in mines, there are various physical and psychosocial risk factors that can affect mine workers' safety and health. Without due diligence to mine safety, these risk factors can affect workers' safety experience, in terms of near misses, disabling injuries and accidents experienced or witnessed by workers. METHOD: This study sets out to examine the effects of physical and psychosocial risk factors on workers' safety experience in a sample of Ghanaian miners. 307 participants from five mining companies responded to a cross sectional survey examining physical and psychosocial hazards and their implications for employees' safety experience. RESULTS: Zero-inflated Poisson regression models indicated that mining conditions, equipment, ambient conditions, support and security, and work demands and control are significant predictors of near misses, disabling injuries, and accidents experienced or witnessed by workers. The type of mine had important implications for workers' safety experience.