Interaction Effects of Stressors and Coping Strategies on Mental Health Disorders Among Civil Engineers in Emerging Countries

Owing to the harsh requirements and characteristics of construction projects, such as limited budgets and tight work schedules, construction professionals suffer from various mental health disorders. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects and interaction of work-related stressors and coping mechanisms on the severity of mental health disorders among construction professionals working in emerging countries. Several studies have focused on the correlations between work-related stressors, coping mechanisms, and mental health outcomes (including depression, anxiety, and stress). However, no study has evaluated the interaction effects of stress factors on the severity of mental health disorders among construction professionals nor examined the effectiveness of coping mechanisms enacted to address workplace stressors. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was administered to 491 civil engineers with construction site experience across different emerging countries. The survey included background information, stressor categories, coping mechanisms, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Four hypotheses were developed and tested using multinomial logistic regression analysis. The findings indicate that project-related stressors play a more critical role in triggering mental health disorders than personal-related attributes. Moreover, while certain stressors (managerial, organizational, and mental) do not exhibit significant individual effects, their interaction effects on mental health disorders are statistically significant. The results further reveal that coping strategies can effectively mitigate the impact of work condition-related stressors on depression, anxiety, and stress, although both positive and negative moderating effects are observed. Professional and personalized mental health consulting is therefore recommended to support construction professionals and promote healthier working environments.