The Impact of Workload on Workers’ Traumatic Stress and Mental Health Mediated by Career Adaptability during COVID-19

Abstract

Building on career construction theory and the conservation of resources theory, this study investigated the impact of workload on healthcare workers’ mental health and secondary traumatic stress mediated by career adaptability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collected from 549 healthcare workers working in Lebanese private hospitals in a two-wave survey were utilized to evaluate the proposed conceptual model, using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Contrary to our propositions, the workload had a significant positive effect on career adaptability and mental health and a negative effect on secondary traumatic stress. Similarly, career adaptability had a significant positive impact on mental health whereas it had a negative significant impact on secondary traumatic stress. Moreover, the results indicated that career adaptability links workload to secondary traumatic stress; however, the sign of the mediating effect is contrary to the hypotheses of this study. Our unexpected results indicate that workload might be considered a challenging demand that enhances healthcare workers’ career adaptability and mental health and reduces secondary traumatic stress. Healthcare management and human resource managers should develop employees’ abilities to face subsequent large-scale pandemics and should create a positive working atmosphere by providing support and training to healthcare workers.