Relationship between job satisfaction and mental health of healthcare and social welfare services employees

ABSTRACT Introduction: Working conditions, environment and relationships developed at the workplace can be key parameters of job satisfaction and can affect both the physical and mental health of employees as well as their working performance. Objective: This study examines the impact of job satisfaction on the employees' mental health in health and welfare facilities. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted, with 164 individuals working in hospitals and heallthcare facilities for disabled people recruited during the first four months of 2017. Data were collected with a questionnaire including socio-demographic and work characteristics, the Employee Satisfaction Inventory (ESI24) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21). Independent t-test, anova, Pearson coefficient and the multiple linear regression were used in statistical analysis. Results: Female were the 74.4% of the sample and 25.6% male. Mean age was 43.54 years old and with a mean 15.10 years of working experience. The 50.6% were healthcare professionals, 27.4% were administrative and 22.0% technical and assistant staff. Age and seniority were related to depression, stress and overall mental burden of workers, while the marital status and the number of children were connected with anxiety. Increased levels of occupational satisfaction were associated with reduced levels of depression (p=0.010), anxiety (p=0.026) and stress (p<0.001) but also total mental burden (p=0.001). All dimensions of professional satisfaction, apart from salary and promotions, affected the mental health of employees. Conclusions: Human resources have a key role in healthcare systems, whose administrations should, through proper management and motivation of staff, foster employee satisfaction.