Predictors of Psychological Distress in the Workplace: A Longitudinal Study

This paper explores the impact of rapid work changes on the psychological well-being of hospital staff and examines predictors of later psychological distress. A 21% random sample of employees were surveyed in 1995 and in 1997 about their emotional functioning, coping resources, job characteristics, and the job-home interface. Psychological distress increased significantly over time. The variance in 1997 psychological distress scores could be explained by the initial level of psychological distress, job characteristics, particularly changes in them (28%), the job-family interface, particularly the extent to which the job interfered with home life and increasingly did so over time (8%). Negative changes in job characteristics and increasing impact of work on home life were most predictive of later psychological distress.