A study on the relationship between role stress and job burnout among community mental health workers: using psychological capital as a mediating variable

RESEARCH PURPOSE: Mental health care plans and services worldwide are increasingly transitioning toward community-based models (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 1:CD00790, 2017; Innovative care for chronic conditions in building blocks for action, 2002; J Nurs 62:5-11, 2015). In our country, there was a significant burden on and instability in the manpower of personnel in the community mental health care system, as compared to patients. However, there was a lack of research on the role of psychological capital as a mediator between role stress and job burnout among personnel in the community mental health care system. This study aims to explore the interrelationships among role stress, psychological capital, and job burnout among community mental health care personnel. Specifically, we investigate the predictive effect of role stress on job burnout and examine the mediating role of psychological capital within this relationship. RESEARCH METHOD: The subjects of this study were personnel in the community mental health care system, and an online questionnaire was used. A total of 313 questionnaires were collected, with 262 valid responses. Data analysis and interpretation were conducted using SPSS and SPSS AMOS for descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping. RESEARCH RESULTS: The research results were presented as follows: (1) The level of role stress among community mental health care system personnel was moderate to low (M = 2.78, SD = 0.78); (2) The level of job burnout among community mental health care system personnel was moderate to low (M = 2.91, SD = 0.842); (3) The level of psychological capital among community mental health care system personnel was moderate to high (M = 3.48, SD = 0.737); (4) Role stress significantly positively predicted job burnout (β = .379, t = 4.632, p < .001); (5) Psychological capital among community mental health care system personnel partially mediated the relationship between role stress and job burnout (β = .227, p = .001). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, recommendations were proposed for the cultivation and management of community mental health care system personnel, such as organizing meetings to reduce role conflicts, planning and managing manpower to alleviate role overload, and establishing mechanisms for personnel training to enhance psychological capital.