The psychosocial work conditions and mental well-being of independent school heads in South Africa
SA Journal of Human Resource Management
| Field | Value | |
| Title | The psychosocial work conditions and mental well-being of independent school heads in South Africa | |
| Creator | Breedt, Jozef E. Marais, Belinda Patricios, Jon | |
| Description | Orientation: Numerous international studies have investigated the well-being of school Heads. Studies have shown the impact of psychosocial work conditions leading to burnout and stress, negatively impacting on mental well-being. This study aimed to determine the psychosocial work conditions and mental well-being of South African independent School Heads.Research purpose: Assessing the psychosocial work conditions and the potential impact on mental well-being of school Heads as this has not been previously studied in South Africa.Motivation for the study: Heads have multiple responsibilities in the school setting. An imbalance in job resources and demands as reflected by the psychosocial work conditions negatively impacts mental well-being and puts Heads at risk for mental illness.Research approach/design and method: The study adopted a quantitative research approach, using an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire design, distributed to Heads of independent schools in South Africa (N = 817; n = 296). A demographic questionnaire, the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) III-middle version and mental health continuum-short form (MHC-SF) were used to collect data. Spearman correlation, analysis of variance and univariate linear regression were used to describe associations.Main findings: This study demonstrated fair correlation between various psychosocial work conditions and mental well-being. Furthermore, two demographic groups were identified as being most at risk for poorer well-being: younger and female Heads.Practical/managerial implications: This study assisted in identifying at risk groups for possible psychosocial intervention.Contribution/value-add: This study served to address the previous knowledge gap in South Africa regarding the mental well-being of school Heads and will potentially pioneer further studies in specific modifiable factors and intervention programmes. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2023-08-31 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajhrm.v21i0.2203 | |
| Source | SA Journal of Human Resource Management; Vol 21 (2023); 14 pages 2071-078X 1683-7584 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2203/3354
https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2203/3355
https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2203/3356
https://sajhrm.co.za/index.php/sajhrm/article/view/2203/3357
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