Eva Selenko

Beyond debt. A moderator analysis of the relationship between perceived financial strain and mental health

Heavy debt not only has economic consequences, but has also been related to severe psychological and physical distress. The present study investigates the relationship between perceived financial strain and mental health, and individual-level variables that moderate this relationship. Specifically it was expected that employment, access to the latent benefits of work, and self-efficacy would buffer the relationship between perceived financial strain and mental health. In a 2009 study conducted in Austria, among 106 people on the verge of bankruptcy, perceived financial strain appeared as the strongest predictor of distress. This effect was moderated by two out of five latent benefits of work and self-efficacy, but employment status failed to have a significant effect. The findings show the importance of subjective economic stress for the prediction of mental health among people in serious financial strain and indicate significant moderators of this relationship.

Does latent deprivation lead to psychological distress? Investigating Jahoda's model in a four-wave study

Unemployment has serious negative effects on psychological health, and yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. According to the latent deprivation model, it is the lack of latent benefits of work associated with unemployment, which leads to psychological distress. In a four-wave study among employed persons, unemployed persons, and persons out of the labour force (OLF) (NT1= 1,026), this assumption was tested cross-sectionally as well as longitudinally. Multiple mediation analyses show the expected differences in distress between the employed, unemployed, and OLF persons and indicate that part of this difference can be explained by differential access to the latent benefits. Furthermore, cross-lagged structural equation modelling confirms that a deprivation of latent benefits leads to a decrease in psychological health 6 months later. Findings regarding the different quality of the latent benefits in relation to each other and over time when predicting psychological health are discussed.

Are workers in high-status jobs healthier than others? Assessing Jahoda's latent benefits of employment in two working populations.

Abstract It is known that employment is important for psychological health. The present paper claims that the reasons why employed persons report better well-being than unemployed persons might also explain why those in some occupations report better well-being than others. Jahodas latent deprivation theory (1982) was that employment provides a number of latent beneficial functions, which she identified as time structure, social contact, collective purpose, identity/status, and activity. We argue that this theory can be extended to account for differences in well-being between occupations with different levels of status. Data from two studies, one conducted on a representative German sample (n=565) and the other from a large-scale online study (n=826), largely support this argument. Group differences in well-being and access to latent benefits were found, and mediation was partly supported. The findings are discussed not only in relation to the latent deprivation model but also in relation to common approaches to job satisfaction and mental health.

The relationship between job dissatisfaction and training transfer

The high rates of training transfer failure that prevail still puzzle practitioners as well as researchers. The central aim of the present study is to analyze the relatively under-researched role of job dissatisfaction in the training transfer process. Specifically, we expect that job dissatisfaction would have a negative effect on transfer but that this effect would be buffered by the expectation of positive transfer consequences and motivation to transfer. To test these hypotheses, 220 participants in different training programs completed an online questionnaire 1 year after training. The results support our assumptions. They reveal that job dissatisfaction has a detrimental effect on training transfer, but that motivation to transfer and the expectation of positive transfer consequences have a buffering effect. The more motivated a person is towards transfer, the less negative is the effect of job dissatisfaction on actual transfer, but only if a person expects positive outcomes from transfer, such as acknowledgment or rewards. The findings are discussed in relation to existing training transfer models, as well as models of job (dis)satisfaction.

Job insecurity and the benefits of work

The presented study combines conservation of resource theory with latent deprivation theory to explain the negative relationship between job insecurity and mental health. Specifically, we propose that people who face the threat of job insecure would perceive worse access to the benefits of work, which would explain the negative effect of job insecurity on mental health. In a two-wave study, employees rated their perceived job insecurity, their access to the benefits of work, and their mental health. Cross-sectional multiple mediation analysis at Time 1 (n = 295) and Time 2 (n = 236) showed that the negative relationship between job insecurity and mental health was partly due to a perceived lack of the benefits of work. Longitudinal results (n = 173) revealed that job insecurity was related to a decrease in financial benefits, which in turn predicted mental health. However, this effect was only visible if it was not controlled for prior levels of the benefits of work. The results are discussed with regards to conservation of resource theory and latent deprivation theory and the potential of this framework for explaining negative mental health effects of job insecurity.

On the link between job insecurity and turnover intentions: moderated mediation by work involvement and well-being.

This study investigates whether work involvement moderates the negative effect of job insecurity on general well-being, and whether reduced general well-being partially explains why job insecurity is associated with increased turnover intentions. The participants were 178 members (52% female) of an online panel who provided information about job insecurity, work involvement, two measures of general well-being (affective and cognitive), and turnover intentions on 2 occasions at an interval of 6 months. In line with expectations, work involvement buffered the negative effect of job insecurity on well-being; however, the buffering effect was significant only for the cross-sectional effect of job insecurity on cognitive well-being. Furthermore, multiple mediation analysis demonstrated that well-being partially mediated the effect of job insecurity on turnover intentions; interestingly, the cross-sectional effect of job insecurity on turnover intentions was partially mediated by cognitive well-being, whereas the longitudinal effect was partially mediated by affective well-being only. The results suggest that the stress process associated with job insecurity differs, depending on which aspect of general well-being and which time frame is investigated.

On the dynamics of work identity in atypical employment: setting out a research agenda

ABSTRACT Starting from the notion that work is an important part of who we are, we extend existing theory making on the interplay of work and identity by applying them to (so called) atypical work situations. Without the contextual stability of a permanent organizational position, the question “who one is” will be more difficult to answer. At the same time, a stable occupational identity might provide an even more important orientation to one’s career attitudes and goals in atypical employment situations. So, although atypical employment might pose different challenges on identity, identity can still be a valid concept to assist the understanding of behaviour, attitudes, and well-being in these situations. Our analysis does not attempt to “reinvent” the concept of identity, but will elaborate how existing conceptualizations of identity as being a multiple (albeit perceived as singular), fluid (albeit perceived as stable), and actively forged (as well as passively influenced) construct that can be adapted to understand the effects of atypical employment contexts. Furthermore, we suggest three specific ways to understand the longitudinal dynamics of the interplay between atypical employment and identity over time: passive incremental, active incremental, and transformative change. We conclude with key learning points and outline a few practical recommendations for more research into identity as an explanatory mechanism for the effects of atypical employment situations.

Factor Structure and Longitudinal Factorial Validity of the Core Self-Evaluation Scale

The personality high-order concept of core self-evaluations (CSE), which refers to a basic evaluation of one’s worth, capability, and effectiveness, has attracted a lot of research interest. Yet little is known about the construct validity of the core self-evaluation scale (CSES) while information on its longitudinal factorial validity is wholly lacking. This study investigated the factor structure of the CSES using both confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis implemented in Mplus program. In addition, the factor loading invariance over time was investigated using exploratory structural equation modeling. Longitudinal data with three follow-ups over 2 years, gathered among university employees (n = 926 (T3)–2,137 (T1)), were used. The results showed that a two-factor solution comprising the sub-dimensions Internal and External self-evaluations fitted to the data better than the alternative factor models. The two-factor solution was also invariant across the three measurements. It is concluded that the CSES could be used as a two-dimensional instead of a one-dimensional scale. Splitting the scale into the two sub-dimensions of Internal and External self-evaluations revealed that the concept has a finer-grained structure than hitherto thought.

The after-effects of youth unemployment: More vulnerable persons are less likely to succeed in Youth Guarantee programmes

This article investigates unemployed adolescents’ success in re-employment programmes. It proposes that not being in employment, education, or training indicates a setback in the achievement of important life goals, which affects mental health and success in re-employment programmes. Adolescents who are more affected by the experience of unemployment will be even less likely to succeed. An analysis of longitudinal archival records of 300 adolescents in a Youth Guarantee apprenticeship scheme confirms the expectations. Adolescents who were more vulnerable during unemployment and who had a worse relationship with their parents when starting the apprenticeship were more likely to drop out within the first year. The effect of age was moderated by relationship quality. The results show that taking the prior experience of not being in employment, education and training into account can offer a new understanding for the success of re-employment programmes. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Psychological effects of (non)employment: a cross-national comparison of the United States and Japan

The involuntary loss of employment has been shown to deteriorate subjective well-being. Adopting a cross-cultural perspective on Jahodas (1982) deprivation model this study examines several latent and manifest benefits of work that were expected to mediate the effects of employment status on well-being. It was hypothesized that in more collectivistic societies the decline in subjective well-being would be a consequence of a diminished sense of collective purpose for the non-employed, whereas in individualistic societies the crucial factors would be a loss of social status and financial benefits. The findings from two representative national surveys conducted in the United States (N = 1,093) and Japan (N = 647) provided partial support for these hypotheses. Cultural differences moderated the effects of employment status on the benefits of work. As a consequence, different processes mediated the decline in well-being for the non-employed in the two countries. These results are embedded within the wider discourse on culture and its effect on unemployment.