ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many workers globally to work from home, suddenly, and often without choice, during a highly uncertain time. Adopting a longitudinal, person-centered approach, we explored patterns of change in employees’ psychological distress over three months following the early phase of the pandemic. We investigated how change in distress unfolded for different latent subgroups. We modelled whether and how work characteristics, and individuals’ degree of detachment from work, predicted membership of different distress trajectories. Growth mixture modelling revealed two distress profiles: (i) a declining distress profile where employees experienced reduced distress over time, suggesting adaptation and/or improved coping; (ii) a rising distress profile where distress increased and eventually plateaued, suggesting a stress reaction process followed by adaptation. Employees with high workload, underload, or close monitoring, were more likely to belong to the rising distress profile. Detachment from work buffered the negative effect of workload and close monitoring on distress profile membership. Scheduling autonomy and colleague support did not predict profile membership. Contrary to predictions, manager support predicted membership in the rising distress profile. Our findings extend theoretical understanding of how distress unfolds over time, and show the importance of particular job demands in explaining these change processes.

摘要

在高度不确定的时期，COVID-19 大流行迫使全球许多工人突然在家工作，而且往往没有选择。我们采用纵向的、以人为本的方法，探索了大流行初期三个月后员工心理困扰的变化模式。我们调查了不同潜在亚群的痛苦变化是如何展开的。我们对工作特征以及个人与工作的分离程度是否以及如何预测不同困境轨迹的成员进行了建模。增长混合模型揭示了两种痛苦状况：(i) 减少的痛苦状况，其中员工经历的痛苦随着时间的推移而减少，表明适应和/或改善应对；(ii) 不断上升的痛苦状况，其中痛苦增加并最终趋于平稳，暗示一个应激反应过程，然后是适应。工作量大、工作量不足或受到密切监控的员工更有可能属于不断上升的困境。脱离工作缓冲了工作量的负面影响和对遇险档案成员的密切监测。安排自主权和同事支持并不能预测个人资料成员资格。与预测相反，经理支持预测成员将成为不断上升的困境。我们的研究结果扩展了对痛苦如何随时间展开的理论理解，并显示了特定工作需求在解释这些变化过程中的重要性。脱离工作缓冲了工作量的负面影响和对遇险档案成员的密切监测。安排自主权和同事支持并不能预测个人资料成员资格。与预测相反，经理支持预测成员将成为不断上升的困境。我们的研究结果扩展了对痛苦如何随时间展开的理论理解，并显示了特定工作需求在解释这些变化过程中的重要性。脱离工作缓冲了工作量的负面影响和对遇险档案成员的密切监测。安排自主权和同事支持并不能预测个人资料成员资格。与预测相反，经理支持预测成员将成为不断上升的困境。我们的研究结果扩展了对痛苦如何随时间展开的理论理解，并显示了特定工作需求在解释这些变化过程中的重要性。