Relationship between hiding emotions and health outcomes among South Korean interactive service workers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among hiding emotions, psychological well-being, and presenteeism for South Korean interactive service workers. This study is a secondary analysis of data extracted from the 2011 Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS), a longitudinal study conducted by the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA). For the present analysis, 15,669 workers who interacted with others at work were selected. Based on existing literature, a set of variables was chosen from the KWCS. Psychological well-being was measured using the World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well-Being Index. The results indicated that frequently hiding feelings is related to presenteeism. Also, among workers who hide emotions at work, an inverse relationship was found between the degree to which these workers hide their feelings and their psychological well-being. Based on these results, the researchers offered practical suggestions to assist interactive service workers adjust to duties that require emotion management.