275. Association mechanism of performance appraisal stress and depressed mood among workplace newcomers under the perspective of big data analysis

Abstract Background Against the backdrop of strengthening organisational performance orientation and the widespread use of digital management, performance appraisal has become an important workplace contextual factor affecting the psychological well-being of newcomers to the workplace. Previous studies have shown that there may be a significant association between excessive performance stress and depression, but most of them rely on cross-sectional questionnaire data, which makes it difficult to delineate the dynamic characteristics of stress exposure and its psychological response mechanism. Meanwhile, internal management systems and digital platforms have accumulated a large amount of behavioural data reflecting workload, appraisal frequency and performance feedback rhythm. Methods This study focuses on new employees within three years of joining the workplace. Under the premise of data compliance and anonymization, the study integrates enterprise performance management system data, work behavior logs, and standardized psychological scale evaluation results. A total of 326 valid samples were included, including 172 males and 154 females, with an average age of 24.8 ± 2.1 years. According to the comprehensive index of performance evaluation pressure (weighted by evaluation frequency, target fluctuation amplitude, and performance feedback intensity), the samples were divided into high performance pressure group (n = 164) and low performance pressure group (n = 162). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender ratio, age, and length of employment. The characteristics of performance evaluation indicators are first constructed, including evaluation frequency, target fluctuation amplitude, and performance feedback intensity; Subsequently, statistical modeling and machine learning methods were used to analyze the relationship between performance stress characteristics and depression scores, and work time and psychological recovery level were introduced as mediating and moderating variables to explore their pathways of action. Results The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between the level of performance appraisal stress and depressed mood scores, with the regression coefficients of the high-frequency appraisal and performance volatility indexes reaching 0.31 and 0.27, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the proportion of newcomers to the workplace with moderate or higher depression risk in the high-performance stress group was 21.4%, which was significantly higher than that of the low-stress group, which was 9.6%. Model analysis indicated that longer working hours and insufficient psychological recovery played a partial mediating role between performance stress and depressed mood, with an explanatory degree of about 34%. Discussion The results of the study validate the potential mechanism of performance appraisal stress on depressed mood of newcomers in the workplace from the perspective of big data analysis, and highlight the public health significance of organisational management styles in the mental health of occupational populations. The study suggests that optimising the pace and feedback mechanism of performance appraisal can help reduce the mental health risk of new employees. Future studies can further introduce longitudinal tracking and cross-industry samples, combined with physiological or behavioural data, to deepen the understanding of the dynamic change patterns of workplace mental health and provide a basis for precise interventions.