Authentic Leadership and Employee Mental Health: Examining the Mediating Role of Social Support in the Workplace

Objective: The primary objective of this investigation was to elucidate the influence of authentic leadership on the mental health of employees, with a specific emphasis on the mediating function of social support. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was employed, incorporating a sample of 300 employees from both governmental and non-governmental organizations located in Kerman, Iran, who were selected utilizing purposive sampling techniques. Data collection was facilitated through the administration of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, the Social Support Scale, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The relationships among authentic leadership, social support, and mental health were evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis. Additionally, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the mediating role of social support, while the bootstrap method was utilized to assess indirect effects. Results: The findings revealed that the proposed model demonstrated a satisfactory fit with the empirical data (CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.059). Specifically, the results indicated a positive and statistically significant correlation between authentic leadership and mental health (r = 0.51, p < 0.01), as well as a positive and statistically significant correlation between authentic leadership and social support (r = 0.42, p < 0.01). The analysis via structural equation modeling confirmed that social support serves as a mediator in the relationship between authentic leadership and mental health among employees, exhibiting a significant indirect effect (β = 0.16, p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that initiatives designed to enhance both authentic leadership and social support may prove effective in bolstering employees' mental health.