Beyond the surface: exploring the impact of toxic leadership on emotional and cognitive strain at work

Introduction Toxic leadership has emerged as a critical organizational risk factor linked to employee psychological distress and reduced well-being. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigates how toxic leadership influences employee health outcomes among working professionals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Specifically, it examines the parallel mediating roles of emotional exhaustion and cognitive distraction, as well as the moderating role of perceived organizational support, addressing the limited empirical evidence from Gulf-region organizational contexts. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was employed with a sample of 350 employees from healthcare, education, and business sectors. Data were collected using validated instruments, including Schmidt’s Toxic Leadership Scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test direct effects, a parallel mediation model involving emotional exhaustion and cognitive distraction, and the moderating effect of perceived organizational support. Reliability and validity were assessed through Cronbach’s alpha and standard model-fit indices. Results Toxic leadership showed moderate positive correlations with emotional exhaustion ( r = 0.38) and cognitive distraction ( r = 0.35). However, its direct effect on employee health outcomes was not statistically significant ( β = 0.305, p = 0.201). The specific indirect effects through emotional exhaustion and cognitive distraction in the parallel mediation model were also non-significant. The interaction between toxic leadership and perceived organizational support was likewise non-significant ( β = −0.099, p = 0.209), although the interaction plot suggested a possible buffering trend. Reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) ranged from 0.87 to 0.91, and the measurement model demonstrated good fit (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.045). Conclusion The findings suggest that in the Saudi context, hierarchical norms and cultural tolerance of authoritative leadership may attenuate the observable impact of toxic leadership on reported health outcomes. While organizational support did not significantly moderate the relationships, visual trends indicate potential protective effects that warrant further investigation. Future research should adopt longitudinal and mixed-method designs to better capture causal processes. Policymakers and organizational leaders are encouraged to implement culturally sensitive leadership development initiatives to promote healthier workplace environments in Gulf-region organizations.