Effect of Job Stress on Psychiatric Symptoms: Focused on Gender Difference of Mediation Effect of Self-Esteem

Lee, Dongsoo; Kim, Ji Hae

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to identify the mediation effect of gender difference and self-esteem level between job stress and psychiatric symptom.
METHODS
Male and female subjects participated in this study and filled out the Korean version of Job Stress Inventory(K-OSI), Beck's Depression Index(BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), Symptom Check List-90-Revised(SCL-90-R) and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale(RSES). To explore the relationships between job stress and psychiatric symptom, a series of correlational analysis and ANOVAs were conducted to identify mediation effects self esteem level to job stress experience.
RESULTS
In males, the perceived job stress level of role boundary scale was positively correlated with depressive, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms. And role insufficiency was positively correlated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, too. In addition, the interaction effect of self-esteem was significant and the interaction effect of self-esteem was significant. It means high level of self-esteem had buffering effect of job stress on psychiatric symptoms. In females, the perceived job stress level of physical environment scale was positively correlated with depressive symptoms and role overload was positively correlated with psychosomatic symptoms. There was no significant interaction effect of self-esteem identified.
CONCLUSIONS
The perceived job stresses related to role boundary and role insufficiency were important factors which result in psychiatric symptoms in males, while physical environment and role overload were important factors in females. In addition, high self esteem had buffering effects of job stresses on psychiatric symptoms, only in males not in females.