Work Stress, Meaning, And Values: A Study Of Intellectual Disability Support Staff

Employees who work with individuals with intellectual disabilities report high levels of work-related stress. Staff stress is associated with a variety of negative outcomes, such as poor psychological health, job burnout, and high turnover rates. The current study investigated the relationship between staff stress and negative outcomes. Specifically, this study examined whether positive psychology concepts such as perceived meaning in life and values moderated the relationship between staff stress and poor psychological health, job search/intention to leave the job, and use of sick leave. Participants included staff members from an inpatient facility for people with intellectual disabilities located in North Mississippi (N = 135) between the reported ages of 19 and 61 years (M age = 33.69 years, SD age = 12.12 years). The sample was predominately female (n = 113 females, 83.7%; n = 20 males, 14.8%) and identified as African American/Black (n = 96, 71.1%). Measures included a two-item questionnaire asking about use of sick leave, a six-item questionnaire regarding job search and intention to leave one's job, the Staff Stressor Questionnaire (SSQ), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), the Purpose in Life test - Short Form (PIL-SF), and the Support Staff Values Questionnaire-Intellectual Disability (SSVQ-ID). Coefficient alphas for the measures used ranged from .73 to .94. The sample reported high levels of meaning and values consistent with previous studies. Covariates for the analyses included sex, education level, time of employment, and the department in which the participant worked. Results indicated that staff stress was positively correlated with general psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, job search, and intention to leave one's job. Meaning in life was negatively correlated with general psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress. Work-related values were negatively correlated with general psychological distress, depression, job search, and intention to leave one's job. Furthermore, staff stress was predictive of general psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, and intention to leave one's job. Meaning in life was predictive of depression and stress. Neither meaning nor values was found to moderate the relationship between staff stress and negative outcomes. Reported number of days of work missed and days of worked missed due to illness were not significantly related to any of the other study variables. The current study provides information on a population that is often understudied in the United States. The results lend further support to previous findings showing staff stress has a significant negative impact on employees and often results in negative outcomes. The results also document further evidence with respect to perceived meaning in life and values being associated with positive outcomes.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. in Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Ladner-Graham, Jennifer Marie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Stefan E. Schulenberg
• Carrie V. Smith
• Jeffry S. Bethay

• Intellectual Disability Staff
• Job Stress
• Meaning In Life
• Stress
• Values
• Work Stress
• Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/815

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-1814