This FLASH Research presents preliminary results of the contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors to four mental health indicators: psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and professional burnout. The two previous FLASH Research (published in October 2021 and October 2022 as well as based on the results of Cycle 1 and Cycle 2) showed that, beyond the context marked by COVID-19, the size of the company or its economic sector, the non-work situation seems to play a more important role when the mental health symptoms experienced are those of psychological distress, depression and anxiety. Professional burnout seems more influenced by the conditions of the work organization and individual factors.

1. Evaluated factors.

2. Preliminary results

Work factors

• Psychological distress:
  • Lower when physical demands are high
  • Higher when psychological demands, physical environment, interpersonal conflict, and job insecurity are high
• Depression:
  • Higher when psychological demands, coworker support and interpersonal conflict are high
• Anxiety
  • Higher when psychological demands, interpersonal conflicts and job insecurity are high
• Burnout:
  • Lower when the person benefits from a flexible schedule, supervisor support, recognition and procedural justice are high
  • Higher when psychological demands, coworker support, interpersonal conflict and job insecurity are high
• Psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and burnout have in common psychological demands and interpersonal conflicts.

Non-work factors

• Psychological distress:
  • Lower when the person lives as a couple
  • Higher when marital tensions as well as family-work/work-family conflicts are high
• Depression:
  • Lower when the person benefits from high social support
  • Higher when family-work/work-family conflicts are high
• Anxiety
  • Higher when marital tensions and family-work/work-family conflicts are high
• Burnout:
  • Higher when work-family conflicts are high
• Psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and burnout have work-family conflicts in common.

Individual factors

• Psychological distress:
  • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is higher
  • Higher for women and when there are chronic health problems and when alcohol and cannabis consumption is high.
• Depression:
  • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is higher
  • Higher for women and when there are chronic health problems and when alcohol and cannabis consumption is high.

• Anxiety:
  • Lower when the person is older and psychological capital is higher
  • Higher for women and when there are chronic health problems and when alcohol and cannabis consumption is high or when physical activity is high.
• Burnout:
  • Lower when the person is older and physical activity and psychological capital are higher
  • Higher when chronic health conditions are present.
• Psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and burnout have in common the age of the person, chronic health problems and psychological capital.

Conclusion

Overall, these preliminary results from Cycle 3 support the observations of previous FLASH Research^1,2. The non-work situation seems to play a more important role when the mental health symptoms experienced are those of psychological distress, depression, and anxiety, whereas professional burnout seems more strongly influenced by work conditions and individual factors.

Although preliminary, these results allow us to draw the following conclusions:

• In the workplace, while teleworking is here to stay and no longer seems to benefit mental health as in cycle 2, the opportunity to have a flexible schedule, to have more physical demands, to count on supervisory support, to be recognized for the work accomplished and to work in an organization whose practices and procedures are based on principles of justice, appear to be favorable elements for protecting the mental health of individuals. However, psychological demands, i.e., workload, pace of work and conflicting demands, problems related to the physical working environment (noise, temperature, cleanliness, and ergonomics), interpersonal conflicts, as well as job insecurity are associated with a higher level of symptoms of psychological distress, anxiety, and professional burnout. Moreover, high support from colleagues is associated with more depression and burnout, suggesting that employees who are doing less well receive more support from their co-workers.
• Outside the workplace, living as a couple seems to reduce psychological distress. Social support outside of work (friends, close relatives, etc.) plays the same role for depression. But the greater the tensions with the partner and the greater the difficulties in reconciling the demands of work and family, the more fragile mental health appears. Only work-family conflicts appear important for professional burnout. Parental tensions no longer seem to play a role on mental health as in cycle 2.
• For individual characteristics, being older and having greater psychological capital, a personality marked by a feeling of self-efficacy (self-confidence), hope, resilience, and optimism, appear to promote lower levels of mental health symptoms. However, being a woman, having a weakened health by one or more chronic health problems, consuming alcohol and smocking cannabis will tend to disrupt mental health. Furthermore, a high level of physical activity seems to reduce exhaustion at work, but also increase anxiety problems. In relation to anxiety, people who are more anxious may tend to resort more to physical activity as a practice to better cope with the symptoms they experience. This result is new in cycle 3. Likewise, alcohol consumption seems to play a more important role in mental health. Also being a woman is no longer associated with professional burnout unlike the results obtained in cycle 2.

As suggested in previous FLASH Research, an integrated approach to prevention that puts in place management practices that promote the control of working conditions, work-family balance and personal health can certainly produce positive results to reduce mental health problems and allow the company to better control its problems of absenteeism at work^2-5.

References

1. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (Octobre, 2021). Psychological distress and burnout: Contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/en/flash-recherche-detresse-psychologique-et-epuisement-professionnel-contribution-des-facteurs-du-travail-hors-travail-et-individuels/
2. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (October, 2022). Mental health in Cycle 2 of ELOSMET study. October 2022. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/en/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-au-cycle-2-de-lelosmet/

3. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (February, 2021). Mental health in the workplace during a pandemic: Early results from ELOSMET Cycle-1. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/en/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-en-milieux-de-travail-en-temps-de-pandemie/
4. Marchand, A., Haines, V. Y., Harvey, S., Dextras‐Gauthier, J., and Durand, P. (2016) Health and Stress Management and Mental‐health Disability Claims. Stress & Health, 32: 569–577. doi: 1002/smi.2663.
5. Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (October, 2020). Absenteeism and workplace health and wellness management practices. FLASH Research Collection, Université de Montréal. https://www.osmet.umontreal.ca/en/flash-recherche-labsenteisme-et-les-pratiques-de-gestion-en-sante-et-mieux-etre-au-travail/

Site web: www.osmet.umontreal.ca/en

About the OSMET

The Observatoire sur la santé et le mieux-être au travail (OSMET) was born of a collaboration between the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Institut de recherche en santé publique (now the Centre de recherche en santé publique) and the School of Industrial Relations of the Université de Montréal. Three founding partners financially support OSMET: TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks and Morneau Shepell), Medavie and Pratt & Whitney Canada.

OSMET FLASH Research collection:

1. Telework, working conditions and work-family conflicts. June 2020. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-teletravail-conditions-de-travail-et-conflits-travail-famille/
2. Absenteeism and workplace health and wellness management practices. October 2020. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-labsenteisme-et-les-pratiques-de-gestion-en-sante-et-mieux-etre-au-travail/
3. Mental health in the workplace during a pandemic: Early results from ELOSMET Cycle-1. January 2021. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-en-milieux-de-travail-en-temps-de-pandemie/
4. Portrait of the implementation of occupational health and wellness management practices. June 2021. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-les-pratiques-de-gestion-de-la-sante-et-du-mieux-etre-au-travail/
5. Psychological distress and burnout: Contribution of work, non-work, and individual factors. October 2021. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-detresse-psychologique-et-epuisement-professionnel-contribution-des-facteurs-du-travail-hors-travail-et-individuels/
6. The best practices for intervening and reducing mental health problems in the workplace. May 2022. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-les-meilleures-pratiques-pour-intervenir-et-diminuer-les-problemes-de-sante-mentale-au-travail/
7. Mental Health in Cycle 2 of ELOSMET study. October 2022. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-la-sante-mentale-au-cycle-2-de-lelosmet/
8. Prevalence of mental health problems in the workplace during COVID-19: ELOSMET Cycle 2 results. November 2022. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-prevalence-des-problemes-de-sante-mentale-en-milieux-de-travail-pendant-la-covid-19-les-resultats-du-cycle-2-de-lelosmet/
9. Evolution of mental health indicators in the first three cycles of ELOSMET study. July 2023. https://osmet.openum.ca/en/flash-recherche-levolution-des-indicateurs-de-sante-mentale-dans-les-trois-premiers-cycles-de-lelosmet/

Ce contenu a été mis à jour le 7 décembre 2023 à 0h37.