The Cognitive Landscape of Financial Distress: Anxiety and Hopelessness among Corporate Employees

Dysfunctional attitudes are maladaptive beliefs and cognitive patterns that may influence individuals' perceptions of stressful life circumstances and their expectations about the future. Financial concerns can represent a significant source of psychological distress among corporate employees, potentially contributing to financial anxiety and hopelessness. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes, financial anxiety, and hopelessness among corporate employees. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, involving a sample of 100 corporate employees. Dysfunctional attitudes were assessed using the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale–24 (DAS-24), financial anxiety was measured using the Financial Anxiety Scale developed by Shapiro and Burchell, and hopelessness was assessed using the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlation, and simple linear regression. The findings revealed no statistically significant relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and financial anxiety (r = −.007, p = .947) or hopelessness (r = .000, p = 1.000). Similarly, dysfunctional attitudes did not significantly predict either financial anxiety or hopelessness. However, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between financial anxiety and hopelessness (r = .327, p = .001). The findings highlight the association between financial anxiety and hopelessness among corporate employees and emphasise the importance of understanding financial-related psychological distress in workplace settings.