Negative cognitive-affective involvement as a mechanism linking job demands to occupational well-being: The moderating role of maladaptive thinking patterns.

Negative cognitions and emotions about work during off-job time (e.g., worry about work tasks) can hinder the necessary recovery from work and lead to impaired occupational well-being. To better understand when this negative cognitive-affective involvement arises, we considered simultaneous and interactive effects of external and individual factors. Specifically, we investigated whether job demands (i.e., time pressure, cognitive demands, emotional demands) and maladaptive thinking patterns are independently and jointly related to negative cognitive-affective involvement and whether this is in turn associated with impaired occupational well-being (i.e., emotional exhaustion, cynicism). Using a diary study, we collected daily data from 109 employees twice a day over two working weeks (N = 667 day-level observations). Multilevel analyses showed that negative cognitive-affective involvement mediates the relationship between job demands (i.e., cognitive demands, emotional demands) and the two occupational well-being indicators. The relationship between cognitive and emotional demands, respectively, and negative cognitive-affective involvement is moderated by work-related maladaptive thinking patterns, with stronger relationships for employees reporting more frequent maladaptive thinking patterns. Moreover, work-related maladaptive thinking patterns moderate the indirect effects of job demands on occupational well-being via negative cognitive-affective involvement. Overall, we expanded the research on negative cognitive-affective involvement by providing a more comprehensive picture of its antecedents and outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Psychological Interventions with Elements of Mindfulness on Burnout and Well-Being in Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review.

Background: Healthcare professionals are highly likely to experience various causes of work-related stress, which often leads to burnout. This became even more obvious during the Covid-19 pandemic. This systematic review aimed to analyze articles where psychological interventions with elements of mindfulness (PIM) were used to support healthcare professionals to foster well-being and reduce burnout levels. Compared to other recently published reviews, it is unique, due to its focus on a wide group of healthcare professionals, a broader selection of psychological interventions, and the evaluation of any sustained effects. Methods: Systematic searches were carried out in February 2021 with different combinations of Boolean operators within six electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Cochrane Library, JSTOR and Cobiss. We included articles that had been published in the last ten years (2011 to 2021) and which reported on original research focused on evaluating the influence of PIM on healthcare professionals. MERSQI was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Results: Of 1315 identified studies, 15 were included in this systematic review. Regardless of the specific type, duration and setting (individual vs group) of PIM applied, the results demonstrated a positive impact on well-being and burnout in participating healthcare professionals. The most studied interventions involved MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) and other mindfulness training programmes, in online as well as in-person versions. Conclusion: Given the new reality with the presence of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, it is of the utmost importance to offer feasible, effective interventions for burnout reduction to vulnerable groups of healthcare professionals. By focusing on their needs, several key aspects of burnout and mindfulness could be efficiently improved; this review demonstrates that short, online interventions could be as effective as longer, in-person ones.

Time pressure, work-related spousal support seeking, and relationship satisfaction: Spillover and crossover effects among dual-earner couples.

The present study examined how time pressure at work is transmitted to the home domain and how it affects individuals' (spillover) as well as their partners' relationship satisfaction (crossover). We examined the role of work-related spousal support seeking and proposed that it serves as a mediator of the spillover as well as the crossover process. We further explored whether the proposed spillover-crossover process is gender-contingent. Using a sample of 308 dual-earner couples, we found support for a positive link between time pressure at work and spousal support seeking. As hypothesised, spousal support seeking served also as a crossover mechanism. However, distinct spillover and crossover processes were found for men and women. These findings not only point to a new spillover and crossover mechanism but also highlight gender-specific patterns in the role of support seeking. As this coping strategy is feasible when job stressors are high, it should be considered a part of stress management trainings and organizational practices.

Development and validation of the Work-Home Integration Questionnaire (WHIQ).

The boundaries between work and private life are gradually blurring. More and more employees are involved in work during leisure time through cognitions, emotions or behaviours, in both negative and positive ways. This so-called work-home integration (WHI) can, on the one hand, hampers the necessary recovery from work and result in strain but, on the other hand, also restores resources and result in beneficial outcomes. In order to enhance our understanding of WHI and capture all its different forms, we suggest a new conceptualisation and measure of WHI. We therefore developed and validated the Work-Home Integration Questionnaire (WHIQ) in English, German and Slovene simultaneously using two cross-sectional studies (Study 1: N = 848; Study 2: N = 555) and a two-wave longitudinal study with a time lag of 1 month (Study 3: N = 379). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a three-factor structure with (1) negative cognitive-affective involvement, (2) positive cognitive-affective involvement and (3) behavioural involvement. Moreover, the WHIQ showed measurement invariance across the three languages and the results provide evidence for convergent, discriminant and incremental validity. Overall, the WHIQ is a reliable, valid and short measure to assess the extent to which employees are involved in work during leisure time.

Conflict at Work Impairs Physiological Recovery during Sleep: A Daily Diary Study.

Sleep plays an essential role in maintaining employees' health and well-being. However, stressors, such as conflict at work, may interfere with employees' sleep. Drawing on previous literature on the relationship between conflict at work and sleep outcomes, we proposed a negative relationship between daily conflict at work and physiological changes during early sleep, particularly nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV). Furthermore, building on the perseverative cognition hypothesis, we proposed that daily work-related rumination mediates the relationship between conflict at work and nocturnal HRV. Ninety-three healthcare employees participated in a daily diary study for five workdays, resulting in 419 observations. Multilevel analysis revealed a significant relationship between daily conflict at work and nocturnal HRV, specifically high-frequency (HF) power. Daily conflict at work was found to predict rumination; however, rumination did not significantly predict nocturnal HRV. Our results suggest that daily conflict at work increases rumination during the off-job time and may directly alter nocturnal HRV, specifically parasympathetic function in early sleep.

Establishing an Expert Consensus on Key Indicators of the Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Modified Delphi Study.

(1) Background: The needs of cancer survivors are often not reflected in practice. One of the main barriers of the use of patient-reported outcomes is associated with data collection and the interpretation of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) due to a multitude of instruments and measuring approaches. The aim of the study was to establish an expert consensus on the relevance and key indicators of quality of life in the clinical practice of breast cancer survivors. (2) Methods: Potential indicators of the quality of life of breast cancer survivors were extracted from the established quality of life models, depicting survivors' perspectives. The specific domains and subdomains of quality of life were evaluated in a two-stage online Delphi process, including an international and multidisciplinary panel of experts. (3) Results: The first round of the Delphi process was completed by 57 and the second by 37 participants. A consensus was reached for the Physical and Psychological domains, and on eleven subdomains of quality of life. The results were further supported by the additional ranking of importance of the subdomains in the second round. (4) Conclusions: The current findings can serve to optimize the use of instruments and address the challenges related to data collection and interpretation as the facilitators of the adaption in routine practice.

Work and home boundary violations during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of segmentation preferences and unfinished tasks.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of employees faced the challenges of telework. However, the current literature has a limited understanding of the implications of employees' obligated home-based telework and their satisfaction with the work and home domains. We use boundary theory to examine work and home boundary violations in relation to satisfaction with domain investment in two daily diary studies, examining both domain-specific and cross-domain effects. In addition, we examine the moderating role of segmentation preferences in both studies and investigate the mediating role of work- and home-related unfinished tasks in Study 2. Both studies provide empirical evidence of the domain-specific relationship between boundary violations and domain satisfaction and provide limited support for cross-domain effects. Neither study finds support for the notion that segmentation preferences moderate the relationship between boundary violations and domain satisfaction. Finally, the results of Study 2 highlight the importance of unfinished tasks in the relationship between boundary violations and domain satisfaction. Specifically, work and home boundary violations relate to an increase in unfinished tasks in both domains. Finally, the indirect effects suggest that home-related unfinished tasks may be detrimental to satisfaction in both domains, while work-related unfinished tasks may be detrimental for work-related, but not home-related, satisfaction.

The Impact of Psychological Interventions with Elements of Mindfulness (PIM) on Empathy, Well-Being, and Reduction of Burnout in Physicians: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Physician's burnout has been recognized as an increasing and significant work-related syndrome, described by the combination of emotional exhaustion (EE) and depersonalization (D), together with low personal accomplishment (PA). It has many negative consequences on personal, organizational, and patient care levels. This systematic review aimed to analyze research articles where psychological interventions with elements of mindfulness (PIMs) were used to support physicians in order to reduce burnout and foster empathy and well-being. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in May 2019, within six electronic databases PubMed, EBSCOhost MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Cochrane Library, JSTOR, and Slovenian national library information system. Different combinations of boolean operators were used-mindfulness, empathy, medicine/family medicine/general practice/primary care, burnout, doctors/physicians, intervention, and support group. Additional articles were manually searched from the reference list of the included articles. Studies with other healthcare professionals (not physicians and residents) and/or medical students, and those where PIMs were applied for educational or patient's treatment purposes were excluded. Results: Of 1194 studies identified, 786 screened and 139 assessed for eligibility, there were 18 studies included in this review. Regardless of a specific type of PIMs applied, results, in general, demonstrate a positive impact on empathy, well-being, and reduction in burnout in participating physicians. Compared with other recent systematic reviews, this is unique due to a broader selection of psychological interventions and emphasis on a sustained effect measurement. Conclusions: Given the pandemic of COVID-19, it is of utmost importance that this review includes also interventions based on modern information technologies (mobile apps) and can be used as an awareness-raising material for physicians providing information about feasible and easily accessible interventions for effective burnout prevention and/or reduction. Future research should upgrade self-reported data with objective psychological measures and address the question of which intervention offers more benefits to physicians.

A randomized controlled trial to improve psychological detachment from work and well-being among employees: a study protocol comparing online CBT-based and mindfulness interventions.

BACKGROUND: The changing landscape of the work environment, which often encompasses expectations of employees being continuously available, makes it difficult to disengage from work and recover. This can have a negative impact on employees' well-being, resulting in burnout, depression and anxiety, among other difficulties. The current study will test the effectiveness of two different online interventions (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy; CBT and mindfulness-based stress reduction; MBSR) on employees' psychological detachment, burnout and other variables related to general (e.g., life satisfaction) and work-specific (e.g., work engagement) well-being. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is designed as a randomized control trial with two intervention groups (i.e., CBT, MBSR) and a waitlist control group. Participants will be full-time employees from a wide range of organizations from Slovenia, who report moderate difficulties with psychological detachment from work and burnout and are not receiving any other form of treatment. The online interventions will encompass 12 sessions over 6 weeks (2 sessions per week); each session will include 1) an active audio-guided session and 2) home assignments, accompanied by handouts and worksheets. The study outcomes (i.e., psychological detachment, burnout, general and work-specific well-being), potential mechanisms (i.e., work-related maladaptive thinking patterns, mindfulness) and moderators (e.g., supervisor support for recovery) will be assessed immediately before and after the interventions (pre and post measurement) and 3 months after intervention completion (follow-up). Additionally, participants will fill out questionnaires for the assessment of the central mechanisms and study outcomes each week. DISCUSSION: We expect that the CBT-based intervention will lead to greater improvements in psychological detachment from work and burnout compared to the MBSR and the waitlist control group. Additionally, we expect that the CBT-based intervention will also lead to greater enhancement of both general and work-related well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN98347361 [May 19, 2020].

Self-reported cognitive difficulties and cognitive functioning in relation to emotional exhaustion: Evidence from two studies.

Individuals with burnout often report having difficulties with concentration and memory in everyday life. However, empirical evidence on cognitive decline using performance-based measures is limited and often obtained on small clinical samples. The aim of the present two studies was to investigate cognitive correlates of emotional exhaustion on otherwise healthy populations at different life stages with varying degrees of burnout. A total of 201 graduate and undergraduate students participated in Study 1, and a heterogeneous sample (N = 203) of working individuals took part in Study 2. Cognitive performance was assessed by self-reported cognitive difficulties and three performance-based cognitive tests of sustained attention, inhibition of irrelevant information, and inhibition of prepotent responses. Controlling for gender, age, and depression symptoms, multiple regression analyses in Study 1 indicated a positive relationship between emotional exhaustion and self-reported cognitive difficulties but no correlation with the performance-based cognitive measures. A similar pattern of results emerged in Study 2. However, we found tentative evidence for cognitive impairment on the sustained attention measure. The results of these two studies partially support previous findings and extend the literature on cognitive aspects of burnout.

Alcohol and Drug Use among Youth - The Interplay of Future Orientation, Parenting, and Housing Conditions.

Background: Past research indicated that future orientation might protect against substance use; however, this potential had not yet been examined in the context of a multiple risk factor model that would include different parenting styles and indicators of the material situation. Additionally, past research draws primarily from a limited set of geographical regions, often using convenience samples of children and adolescents. Objectives: The current study addresses these issues by examining (in)direct relationships between substance use (alcohol, marijuana, hard drugs), future orientation, different parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive), and family housing conditions, using a representative sample of Slovenian youth. Methods: Correlational and path analyses were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Additionally, possible mediating pathways were examined and evaluated. Results: Findings indicated a negative relation between future orientation and use of all substances. Next, future orientation fully mediated the effect of authoritative parenting on substance use. Finally, housing conditions had a direct and positive effect on authoritative parenting, a direct and an indirect effect on future orientation and only an indirect (through authoritative parenting and future orientation) effect on substance use. Conclusions: Results, besides indicating the relevance of future orientation in understanding substance use among youth, highlight the importance of authoritative parenting (that spans beyond childhood and adolescence) and housing conditions on the development of future orientation. In addition, findings highlight the importance of the material situation when examining antecedents of substance use among youth that might be missed if only direct effects are observed. Results are discussed in the context of the risk factor paradigm.

EEG alpha frequency correlates of burnout and depression: The role of gender.

EEG alpha frequency band biomarkers of depression are widely explored. Due to their trait-like features, they may help distinguish between depressive and burnout symptomatology, which is often referred to as "work-related depression". The present correlational study strived to examine whether individual alpha frequency (IAF), power, and coherence in the alpha band can provide evidence for establishing burnout as a separate diagnostic entity. Resting EEG (eyes closed) was recorded in 117 individuals (42 males). In addition, the participants filled-out questionnaires of burnout and depression. Regression analyses highlighted the differential value of IAF and power in predicting burnout and depression. IAF was significantly related to depressive symptomatology, whereas power was linked mostly to burnout. Moreover, seven out of twelve interactions between EEG indicators and gender were significant. Connectivity patterns were significant for depression displaying gender-related differences. The results offer tentative support for establishing burnout as a separate clinical syndrome.

The role of personal and key resources in the family-to-work enrichment process.

Based on the work-home resources model, the aim of the present research was to test a process model of family-to-work enrichment by examining whether self-efficacy (i.e., personal resource) mediates the relationship between support from one's family and work engagement. Further, it was assumed that positive affectivity (i.e., key resource) moderates the relation between family support and self-efficacy. Using an occupationally heterogeneous sample of Slovenian employees (n = 738), we found support for a mediating effect of self-efficacy as well as for the moderating role of positive affectivity. In general, our results broaden the understanding of work-family enrichment processes and provide support for the work-home resources model. In addition, they point to the relevant role of personal and key resources in work-family interactions.

Too much job control? Two studies on curvilinear relations between job control and eldercare workers' well-being.

BACKGROUND: Longer life expectancy and changes in family patterns in Western societies have increased the need for professional caregivers to the elderly. A detailed understanding of job resources, especially of job control, may help preserve eldercare workers' work-related well-being. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to determine optimal levels of job control for eldercare workers' work-related well-being. DESIGN: Cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) data were used to assess the linear and non-linear relations between job control and eldercare workers' work-related well-being. As indicators of well-being, irritation was examined cross-sectionally, whereas burnout and engagement were used in the longitudinal study. In both studies, demographic variables and time pressure were included as controls. In Study 2, results were additionally controlled for baseline levels of the outcome variables. PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were recruited from the nursing staff of 10 publicly financed nursing homes for the elderly (Study 1) and from 18 privately and 20 publicly financed nursing homes for the elderly (Study 2). In both studies, eldercare workers (i.e., registered nurses, orderlies, and nursing assistants) were invited to answer paper-pencil questionnaires. In Study 1, 606 persons followed this invitation (response rate: 65%). In Study 2, 591 persons provided data on both measurement points (response rate: 35% of Time 1 participants). The samples of both studies were predominantly female and between 20 and 65 years of age. METHODS: Hierarchical multiple regressions with linear and quadratic terms were conducted. RESULTS: Curvilinear effects of job control were found in both studies. In Study 1, low as well as high levels of job control were associated with higher levels of irritation compared to medium levels of job control. The longitudinal data from Study 2 supported these results. Eldercare workers with higher and lower levels of job control reported a higher tendency to depersonalize care recipients and a lower tendency to feel dedicated to, absorbed by and vigorous at work than those with medium levels of job control. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of job control are not necessarily advantageous for work-related well-being of eldercare workers.

Does trait affectivity predict work-to-family conflict and enrichment beyond job characteristics?

The present study examines whether negative and positive affectivity (NA and PA, respectively) predict different forms of work-to-family conflict (WFC-time, WFC-strain, WFC-behavior) and enrichment (WFE-development, WFE-affect, WFE-capital) beyond job characteristics (workload, autonomy, variety, workplace support). Furthermore, interactions between job characteristics and trait affectivity while predicting WFC and WFE were examined. Using a large sample of Slovenian employees (N = 738), NA and PA were found to explain variance in WFC as well as in WFE above and beyond job characteristics. More precisely, NA significantly predicted WFC, whereas PA significantly predicted WFE. In addition, several interactive effects were found to predict forms of WFC and WFE. These results highlight the importance of trait affectivity in work-family research. They provide further support for the crucial impact of job characteristics as well.