Search Results (30)

Students’ sense of safety at school is an important dimension of school climate and student well-being; however, the factors shaping perceived safety remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the extent to which social, emotional, and contextual factors predict students’ sense of safety at school using data from the OECD PISA 2022 assessment in Lithuania (N = 7257). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between students’ sense of safety and school belonging, teacher–student relationships, bullying, school safety risks, stress resistance, life satisfaction, socio-economic status, and gender. The findings suggest that students’ sense of belonging was the strongest predictor of perceived safety. Positive teacher–student relationships, higher life satisfaction, and greater stress resistance were also positively associated with students’ sense of safety, whereas bullying and school safety risks were negatively associated with perceived safety. Socio-economic status and gender demonstrated comparatively weaker effects. Overall, the findings suggest that students’ sense of safety is shaped primarily by relational and psychosocial experiences rather than by background characteristics or the mere absence of risk. The study provides preliminary evidence supporting the importance of fostering inclusive and supportive school environments to strengthen students’ perceived safety. Full article

Background: Environmental degradation and climate-related territorial transformation are increasingly recognized as social determinants of adolescent mental health. However, empirical evidence on solastalgia among young people in the Global South remains limited. This study aimed to examine psychosocial, health-related, school-related, family, and territorial factors associated with solastalgia among school-attending adolescents in Colombia. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between August 2025 and February 2026 with 1005 adolescents from three Colombian territories undergoing different forms of environmental transformation: an urban setting affected by construction-related change, a semiurban setting affected by agricultural transformation, and a rural setting affected by extractivism. Solastalgia was assessed using the Brief Solastalgia Scale. Psychosocial, health-related, school-related, and contextual variables were measured using validated or locally supported instruments. Bivariate analyses, multiple linear regression, and non-parametric territorial comparisons were conducted. Results: Solastalgia differed significantly across territorial groups, with the semiurban group showing the highest mean ranks for solastalgia, followed by the rural and urban groups. However, territorial comparisons showed heterogeneous psychosocial and health-related patterns rather than a uniform gradient across all outcomes. Older age was independently associated with higher solastalgia scores. In the final regression model, solastalgia was independently associated with resilience, substance use screening, suicide risk, age, physical health status, conflict resolution, concern about climate change, and territorial origin. The model explained 42.9% of the variance in solastalgia scores. Territorial origin contributed a small but statistically significant additional proportion of explained variance. Conclusions: Adolescent solastalgia in Colombia is not reducible to individual psychological vulnerability. It reflects a broader socioecological configuration involving emotional distress, perceived health, psychosocial resources, school-related experiences, concern about climate change, and place-based environmental transformation. These findings support the need for school-based and community-based public health responses that integrate adolescent mental health care with environmental protection, cultural safety, and territorial justice. Full article

The purpose of this study is to examine how the leadership competence of school leaders supports the implementation of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) within an educational workplace. While recent studies have considered how various leadership styles influence PSC, the processes through which school leaders at different levels enact and develop PSC in practice continue to receive limited attention. This study addresses this gap through a qualitative case study at a school in Aotearoa, New Zealand, which employed a sequential data collection process comprising 26 interviews and three focus groups. This investigation found that exemplary leadership, overcoming complexity, and multiskilled leadership are pivotal competencies that enable PSC implementation within a school setting. More broadly, we discuss how these key leadership competencies facilitate the development of policies, practices, and procedures that promote teachers’ psychological health and the four domains of the PSC framework. Finally, we propose a Leader Competence–PSC Framework as a practical tool for investigating and evaluating school leader competence across specific PSC domains. Full article

This study investigates the factors influencing employee acceptance and actual AI use intensity (frequency and routinization) by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model with organizational and psychosocial variables. Data were collected via an online survey of Romanian Generation Z participants with work experience (N = 272) between 10 May and 25 May 2025, and analyzed using PLS-SEM with a moderated mediation model. Perceived usefulness emerged as the strongest driver of attitude, intention, and AI use intensity. Organizational AI readiness increased perceived usefulness and was positively associated with psychological safety. Trust influenced both intention and AI use intensity and partially mediated the relationship between perceived usefulness and intention. Technostress was negatively associated with attitudes and weakened the positive relationship between psychological safety and perceived ease of use. By shifting the focus from intention to AI use intensity, the study refines acceptance theory for AI-enabled work and clarifies how organizational context, trust, and digital strain shape sustained and routinized AI use in daily work. Practically, the findings suggest that organizations should communicate AI value and task fit, foster psychologically safe learning climates, build trust through transparency and guidance, and actively mitigate technostress through training, workload design, and clear expectations. Full article

Background: Workplace bullying, harassment and sexual abuse cause psychological harm, and can pose a significant threat to the success of an organization as well. This type of violence in the workplace, comprising negative actions and often abuse of power, can lead to trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD and in severe cases, suicide. These acts impact workplace performance, negatively impact psychological safety and lead to high turnover and loss of productivity in an organization. Objectives: This narrative review outlines the key concepts of bullying, its impact on the individual, and the ways an organization can obstruct and manage it, using recent works (2018–2025) and some highlighted literature on trauma, power, and psychological safety. Methodology: Research conducted on leadership, safety climate, psychological safety and trauma-informed- as well as meta-analyses and relevant gray literature, journal articles, and other studies on bullying that A narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and selected gray literature was conducted across PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were integrated to this review. Results: Exposure to bullying was connected to anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorders, cardiovascular problems, absenteeism, and turnover. Diminished psychological safety, as well as disordered leadership, increases the damaging effect. In contrast, ethical trauma-informed leadership and a strong psychosocial safety climate promote recovery and decrease the incidence of bullying. Conclusions: Recognizing workplace bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse as forms of violence—and as both occupational and public health hazards—underscores the urgency of prevention. Embedding psychological safety as a core organizational value at every level is essential to fostering healthier, more resilient workplaces. Full article

Nurses often work under high stress and heavy workloads, making it critical to understand factors that influence their motivation, psychosocial safety climate (PSC), and work engagement (WE). Objectives: To assess nurses’ levels of motivation, PSC, and WE; examine relationships among these variables; and test whether PSC mediates the association between motivation and WE. Methods: A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 318 nurses from Assiut University Hospital, Egypt, using validated scales for motivation, PSC, and WE. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, multivariate regression, and mediation analysis (bootstrapped, 5000 resamples). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Nurses reported moderate motivation (M = 118.1, SD = 16.4), moderate WE (M = 22.7, SD = 5.8), and low PSC perception (M = 60.5, SD = 16.6). Motivation was positively correlated with PSC (r = 0.48, 95% CI [0.39, 0.56], p < 0.001). Motivation-WE correlation was small and non-significant (r = 0.10, 95% CI [−0.01, 0.21], p = 0.08). Mediation analysis showed PSC partially mediated the motivation-WE link (indirect effect = 0.07, 95% CI [0.02, 0.14]), though the effect size was small. Conclusions: Motivation and PSC reinforce each other, but neither strongly predicts WE in this setting. Targeted strategies to strengthen PSC and intrinsic motivation may indirectly enhance engagement and retention. Full article

The importance of safety behavior (SB) for workplace safety, especially in high-risk industries such as the construction sector, cannot be overstated. However, there exists limited research that has examined how the psychosocial safety climate (PSC) influences SB. This research examines the effect of the PSC on SB among Libyan construction workers. The mediating role of work engagement (WE) and the moderating role of safety leadership (SL) were also observed. We obtained 366 valid responses through a cross-sectional research design to verify the aforementioned relationships. The findings indicate that PSC has a positive influence on SB, PSC has a positive influence on WE, and WE has a positive influence on SB. The link between PSC and SB is partially mediated by WE. At a high level of safety leadership, the link between PSC and WE is further strengthened for construction firms whose employees perceive a high level of safety leadership. At a high level of safety leadership, the link between PSC and SB is further strengthened for construction firms whose employees perceive a high level of safety leadership. The findings underscore the importance of exploring the PSC’s influence on safety outcomes, such as safety behavior. It also underscores the importance of having organizational resources, such as PSC, improving employee engagement, and the crucial role of safety leadership in the construction context. Full article

Background: Effectively managing emotional demands in the workplace is crucial in professions such as healthcare, education, and social work. Recent studies indicate that the psychosocial safety climate within an organization can significantly mitigate the negative effects associated with high emotional demands. Method: This study examines whether psychosocial safety climate is associated with six practical strategies for managing emotional demands that have previously been found to be associated with less burnout. It utilizes longitudinal data from 1457 participants across 129 different workplaces in various emotionally demanding professions. The associations were analyzed using linear regression and Poisson regression techniques. All analyses incorporated cluster-robust standard errors to account for potential dependencies arising from respondents sharing the same workplace. Results: The results indicate that higher levels of psychosocial safety climate are significantly associated with the availability of practical strategies. Furthermore, the incidence rate of receiving multiple types of support increases significantly for each point increase in psychosocial safety. Additionally, these relationships remain consistent even under high work demands. Conclusions: The results underscore the importance of fostering a psychosocial safety climate and increasing the availability of practical strategies to manage emotional demands in the workplace. This approach may safeguard employee well-being in high-demand professions. Full article

Compromised Sustainable Employability (SE) of medical doctors is a concern for the viability of healthcare and, thus, for society as a whole. This study (preregistration: ISRCTN15232070) will assess the effect of a two-year organizational-level workplace intervention using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach on the primary outcome SE (i.e., burnout complaints, work engagement, and job satisfaction) and secondary outcomes (i.e., turnover intention, occupational self-efficacy, and perceived impact on health/well-being) in medical doctors. It will also examine whether changes in Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC), job characteristics (i.e., job demands and resources), and perceived impact on the work situation mediate these effects, and which process factors (i.e., degree of actual implementation of changes, information provision, management support, medical doctors’ involvement, and mental models) are important to the intervention’s success. A pre-post design will be used, including 24 groups of medical doctors (approximately N = 650). Data will be collected at four measurement points (a pre-test, two intermediate evaluations, and a post-test) and analyzed using linear mixed-effect models. The results will provide insights into the effectiveness of the intervention in promoting SE and will inform future organizational-level workplace interventions about the mediators and factors in the implementation process that contribute to its effects. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the education and healthcare sectors were severely affected. There is a need to investigate the ways in which these workers in at-risk sectors can be protected and through what mechanisms. The aims of this research are, therefore, (1) to assess the mediating role of job demands and resources in the relationship between psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and work engagement and emotional exhaustion, and (2) to test for sector-specific differences among education and healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the study, which employed a longitudinal design including three measurement times, 70 education professionals and 69 healthcare professionals completed a questionnaire measuring PSC, psychological demands, social support, recognition, work engagement, and emotional exhaustion. The results show that PSC was significantly higher among education professionals than among healthcare professionals. When considering both job sectors together, mediation analyses show that social support mediates the PSC–work engagement relationship, while psychological demands mediate the PSC–emotional exhaustion relationship. Moderated mediation analyses show that job sector is a moderator: among education professionals, colleague support and recognition mediate the PSC–work engagement relationship, and psychological demands mediate the PSC–emotional exhaustion relationship. PSC is associated with more balanced job demands and resources, higher work engagement, and lower emotional exhaustion among education and healthcare professionals. The study of these two sectors, which are both vital to society but also more exposed to adverse work conditions, shows the importance that managers and executives must attach to their mental health by improving their respective working conditions. Full article

Previous research suggests that co-worker social support predicts burnout, but this relationship may be far more complex, with the potential for a reciprocal cycle of loss. Leading research on loss spirals has explicitly called for more research on interindividual factors such as social support and, by extension, how interventions that operate on these interpersonal resources could play a role in primary and secondary prevention (i.e., intervening in cycles of loss). In this study, we explore the reciprocal relationship between burnout and co-worker social support, with psychosocial safety climate (PSC) as an upstream predictor and moderator of this relationship. Using hierarchical linear modelling (N = 380 frontline healthcare workers, nested within N = 63 teams) on longitudinal data, we found a reciprocal relationship between burnout and co-worker support, which was both triggered and moderated by PSC. These findings provide initial evidence for a social support–burnout loss spiral, wherein individuals with poor co-worker support are more likely to become burnt-out, and in this depleted state they are subsequently less likely to reach out for those social supports when available, which would, in turn, lead to further burnout. This social support–burnout loss spiral is exacerbated when working in a low-PSC context, as the environment does not send positive safety signals about resource scarcity and replenishment. Therefore, PSC may be a potential target for intervention both in primary prevention (i.e., stopping the loss spiral in the first instance) and in secondary intervention, as high PSC signals to workers already in the burnout–support loss cycle when it is safe to reinvest resources or engage in recovery behavior. Full article

The offshore oil and gas working environment is an inherently dangerous one, with risks posed to physical safety on a daily basis. One neglected field of research is the added psychosocial stressors present in this environment. This research examined the experiences of offshore oil and gas workers through one-on-one online interviews which were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed through the qualitative software NVivo, which generated themes and patterns for the responses given to questions that were developed through a focus group. The results of the analysis showed that multiple psychosocial stressors are present in this population, such as fear of speaking up, unsatisfactory company-provided facilities, work–life interference, work status, micromanaging, gender harassment and bullying. In addition, interviews identified that production and time pressures, along with fatigue, can influence accidents and mistakes. Climate factors also cause discomfort. However, these are managed according to best practices by organizations. Due to the timing of the study, COVID-19 was a significant stressor for some, but not all, employees. In conclusion, offshore oil and gas workers face multiple stressors in a dangerous environment that may lead to devastating consequences. Full article

Background: There is overwhelming evidence the impacts of climate change present a probable threat to personal health and safety. However, traditional risk management approaches have not been applied to ameliorate the crises. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact on personal motivation for action of a communication intervention that framed climate change as a safety issue that can be mitigated through a safety and health risk management framework. Participants’ perception of climate change in terms of its anthropogenicity, context and importance, perception as a personal threat, belief in the efficacy of human action, motivating drivers for action, knowledge of climate change impacts, perceived personal barriers to climate action, and short- and long-term preferences for mitigating actions were evaluated. In addition, this study assessed the role of personal worldview on motivation for climate action. Methods: Through an online survey instrument embedded with a communication/education intervention, data were collected from N = 273 participants. Pre and post-intervention responses were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and descriptive statistics. A path analysis assessed the influence of anthropogenicity, personal impact, and human efficacy beliefs on participant motivation for action. Multi-regression analyses and descriptive statics were used to evaluate the role of worldview on participant motivation for climate action. Results: Personal motivation for action significantly increased post-intervention. Anthropogenicity, personal impact, and human efficacy beliefs were predictive of personal motivation. Those who prioritized climate change as a safety issue and those driven by a desire to protect current and future generations had higher levels of personal motivation, post-intervention. Knowledge of climate change increased, psychosocial factors as barriers to climate action decreased, and preferences for personal mitigating actions shifted towards more impactful choices post-intervention. Holding Egalitarian worldviews significantly predicted climate action motivation. Conclusion: Presenting climate change and climate action strategies via a traditional health and safety risk management context was effective in increasing personal motivation for climate action. This study contributes to the literature on climate change communication and climate action motivation. Full article

There is widespread recognition that the world of work is changing, and agreement is growing that the occupational safety and health (OSH) field must change to contribute to the protection of workers now and in the future. Discourse on the evolution of OSH has been active for many decades, but formalized support of an expanded focus for OSH has greatly increased over the past 20 years. Development of approaches such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)’s Total Worker Health^® concept and the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Healthy Workplace Framework are concrete examples of how OSH can incorporate a new focus with a wider view. In 2019, NIOSH initiated a multi-year effort to explore an expanded focus for OSH. This paper is a report on the outputs of a three-year cooperative agreement between NIOSH and The University of Texas School of Public Health, which led to subject matter expert workshops in 2020 and an international conference of global interest groups in 2021. This article traces the background of these meetings and identifies and assesses the lessons learned. It also reviews ten thematic topics that emerged from the meetings: worker health inequalities; training new OSH professionals; future OSH research and practice; tools to measure well-being of workers; psychosocial hazards and adverse mental health effects; skilling, upskilling and improving job quality; socioeconomic influences; climate change; COVID-19 pandemic influences; and strategic foresight. Cross-cutting these themes is the need for systems and transdisciplinary thinking and operationalization of the concept of well-being to prepare the OSH field for the work of the future. Full article

Healthcare sector organizations have long been facing the issue of productivity loss due to presenteeism which is affected by psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and work intensification. Presenteeism has visibly increased among nurses during COVID-19 pandemic period. Grounded in COR theory and sensemaking theory, the current study aimed to examine the role PSC plays as driver or moderator to reduce presenteeism by lessening work intensification over time and the impact of work intensification over time on presenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting a time-lagged research design, this study gathered data from randomly selected registered nurses, practicing in Québec, Canada in two phases, i.e., 800 at Time 1 and 344 at Time 2 through email surveys. The study results showed that (1) PSC reduces presenteeism over time by reducing work intensification at time 1; (2) PSC moderates the relationship between work intensification at time 1 and work intensification at time 2; and (3) PSC as moderator also lessens the detrimental effect of work intensification at time 2 on presenteeism at time 2. Presenteeism among nurses affects their health and psychological well-being. We find that PSC is likely an effective organizational tool particularly in crises situations, by providing an organizational mechanism to assist nurses cope (through a resource caravan, management support) with managing intensified work. Full article