The association between occupational stress and depressive symptoms and the mediating role of psychological capital among Chinese university teachers: a cross-sectional study

BMC Psychiatry

Lie Wang¹  Shu Wang¹  Li Liu¹  Yang Wang¹  Yi-Long Yang¹  Xue Shen¹ 

[1] Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New District, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

关键词: University teachers;    Occupational stress;    Psychological capital;    Depressive symptoms;   

Others  :  1091894
DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-014-0329-1

 received in 2014-06-02, accepted in 2014-11-10,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Depression is a major public health problem that affects both individuals and society. Previous studies report that university teachers are particularly susceptible to high levels of occupational stress and depressive symptoms. The aims of this study were to explore the association between occupational stress and depressive symptoms in a group of university teachers, and assess the mediating role of psychological capital between these variables.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed between November 2013 and January 2014. Teachers from six universities were randomly sampled in Shenyang. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, effort-reward imbalance scale, and psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ-24), as well as questions about demographic and working factors, were administered in questionnaires distributed to 1,500 university teachers. Completed questionnaires were received from 1,210 participants. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to examine the mediating role of psychological capital.

Results

In the present study, 58.9% (95% CI (Confidence Intervals): 56.1% to 61.7%) of university teachers had a CES-D score equal to or above the cut-off of 16. Both effort–reward ratio (ERR) and scores of over-commitment were positively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas psychological capital was negatively associated with depressive symptoms among university teachers. Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between occupational stress and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Among Chinese university teachers, occupational stress may be a risk factor for depressive symptoms, whereas psychological capital might be protective against depressive symptoms. Our results suggest that college administrators could support the development of psychological capital in their staff to alleviate depressive symptoms.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Shen et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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