Working environment, work engagement and mental health problems among occupational and physical therapists

Figures & data

Table 1. Questions, descriptive data, and internal consistency of indexes among 443 occupational and physical therapists.

Variables	Cronbach’s α	Mean	SD	Range	Questions included
Job demands (composite)	0.70	2.25	0.39	1.3–3.9
General demands	0.72	3.28	0.40	2.0–4.6	How often do you have a lot to do at work? Do you have enough time to do your job at the quality you want? Is the workload unevenly distributed so that there are work peaks? Do you have duties that you consider professionally difficult? Does your job set high demands, so you have to constantly perform new duties? Does your job require you to have an overview and relate to many things at once? Do you make job decisions that you deem as complicated?
Role conflict	0.81	2.11	0.61	1.0–5.0	Do you receive conflicting requests or demands from superiors and/or colleagues? Do you perform tasks that you think should have been done differently? Do you perform tasks that you think are unnecessary? Does your job include tasks that conflict with your personal values? Do you compromise your professional standards to get your work done?
Conflicts	0.43	1.17	0.38	1.0–4.0	Have you been in conflict with one or more people at your workplace in the past 12 months? Have you been bullied or exposed to unwanted behaviour in the past 12 months?
Fragmented work tasks	0.76	2.46	8.80	1.0–5.0	Do you have so many different tasks that it is difficult to achieve continuity during the working day Does your work include work tasks that diverge in all directions?
Job resources (composite)	0.92	3.74	0.47	2.0–5.0
Meaningful work	0.77	3.30	0.54	1.5–5.0	Are your tasks meaningful? Do you get motivated by your tasks? Do you have tasks that provide work engagement?
Job control	0.77	3.30	0.54	1.5–5.0	Do you have any influence on what specific activities or tasks in which you are involved? Can you choose which method or methods you will use in carrying out your job responsibilities? Can you influence the amount of work that you have? Do you have any influence on the deadlines and time allocated for your job responsibilities? Can you influence decisions regarding the people with whom you work? Can you influence decisions that are important for your work?
Predictability	0.79	3.40	0.61	1.0–5.0	Do you get the information needed in time for important decisions, changes and plans? Are you given the opportunity to participate in organisational changes that affect your work? Are you capable of keeping up with the organisational changes at work? Do you get the information needed for executing work in a good way? Do you generally know what your tasks are 6 months ahead?
Opportunity to use one’s strengths and potential	0.84	3.76	0.62	1.7–5.0	Does your job allow you to be creative and take initiatives? Does your job allow you to use your academic skills and competence? Does your job contribute to your academic development? Do you learn new things in your job? Is your job well aligned with your education and experience? Is there a reasonable relationship between your job development or career and the efforts you make in the job?
Feedback from leader	0.88	3.38	0.87	1.0–5.0	Is your immediate superior willing to listen when you want to take something up? Do you get the help and support you need from your immediate superior? Does your immediate superior ask you how you feel? Does your immediate superior talk to you about the quality of your work?
Social support	0.88	4.06	0.64	1.5–5.0	Do you get the help and support you need from your colleagues? Do you get feedback from your colleagues on your job performance? Do you have a close colleague at work? Is there a good atmosphere between you and your colleagues? Are the colleagues collaborating well at your workplace? Do you feel you are part of a fellowship at your workplace?
Work engagement	0.94	5.28	1.21	1.1–7.0	I am full of energy at work. I feel strong and energetic at work. I am enthusiastic about my job. I am inspired by my job. When I get up in the morning, I look forward to going to work. I feel happy when I am absorbed in my work. I am proud of the work I do. I am absorbed by my job. I am completely taken in by my job.
Mental health problems	0.85	2.04	0.71	1.0–4.5	During the last 4 weeks: How often have you been emotionally exhausted? How often have you felt worn out? How often have you been irritable? How often have you been stressed?

SD: standard deviation.

Table 2. Overview of demographic variables among occupational and physical therapists.

Demographic variables	All participants (n = 443)	Physical therapists (n = 273)	Occupational therapists (n = 170)	Occupational therapists in specialist healthcare (n = 65)	Occupational therapists in municipal healthcare (n = 105)
Age, mean (range/SD)	41.7 (22–67/10.7)	41.4 (22–65/10.4)	42.1 (23–67/11.0)	43.3 (22–67/11.7)	40.2 (22–67/9.4)
Sex, n (%)
Women	378 (85.3)	220 (80.6)	158 (92.4)	178 (84.0)	200 (86.6)
Men	65 (14.7)	53 (19.4)	12 (7.1)	34 (16.0)	31 (13.4)
Sector, n (%)
Specialist healthcare	212 (47.9)	147 (53.8)	65 (38.2)	NA	NA
Municipal healthcare	231 (52.1)	126 (46.2)	105 (61.8)	NA	NA
Seniority, mean (range/SD)	9.0 (0–34/7.5)	8.9 (0–34/7.6)	9.2 (0–27/7.4)	7.9 (0–27/10.3)	7.0 (0–27/8.4)
Working hours, n (%)
Full time	351 (79.2)	220 (80.6)	131 (77.1)	52 (80.0)	79 (75.2)
Part time	92 (20.8)	53 (19.4)	39 (22.9)	13 (20.0)	26 (24.8)

Range: minimum and maximum years; SD: standard deviation; NA: not applicable.

Table 3. Differences between occupational and physical therapists.^a

	All participants (SD) (n = 443)	Physical therapists (SD) (n = 273)	Occupational therapists (SD) (n = 170)	Mean difference	95% CI for difference	p
Job demands	2.25 (0.39)	2.20 (0.39)	2.33 (0.37)	–0.13	−0.20–−0.06	<0.001
Job resources	3.74 (0.47)	3.75 (0.48)	3.73 (0.45)	0.02	−0.07–0.11	0.67
Work engagement	5.28 (1.21)	5.29 (1.20)	5.28 (1.22)	0.01	−0.22–0.24	0.93
Mental health problems	2.04 (0.71)	1.92 (0.64)	2.24 (0.77)	–0.33	−0.46–−0.19	<0.001
Sick leave (days/year)	9.06 (20.70)	7.72 (19.14)	11.22 (22.88)	–3.50	−7.64–0.63	0.10
Sickness presenteeism (days/year)	4.07 (10.11)	2.90 (6.37)	5.95 (14.01)	–3.05	−5.30–−0.80	0.01

^aIndependent samples t-test. SD: standard deviation; CI: confidence interval.

Bold values help the reader to see what is statically significant as defined in this study (that is, below the 5% level). 

Table 4. Differences between occupational therapists working in specialist and municipal healthcare services.^a

	All participants (SD) (n = 170)	Specialist health care (SD) (n = 65)	Municipal health care (SD) (n = 105)	Mean difference	95% CI for difference	p
Job demands	2.33 (0.79)	2.31 (0.37)	2.35 (0.37)	–0.04	−0.16–0.07	0.46
Job resources	3.73 (0.45)	3.63 (0.43)	3.79 (0.45)	–0.16	−0.30–−0.02	0.02
Work engagement	5.28 (1.22)	5.26 (1.15)	5.29 (1.27)	–0.03	−0.41–0.35	0.87
Mental health problems	2.24 (0.77)	2.36 (0.74)	2.18 (0.78)	0.17	−0.06–0.41	0.15
Sick leave (days/year)	11.22 (22.88)	8.06 (13.25)	13.17 (27.07)	–5.11	−11.25–1.03	0.10
Sickness presenteeism (days/year)	5.95 (14.03)	3.97 (5.86)	7.17 (17.15)	–3.20	−6.81–0.41	0.08

^aIndependent samples t-test. SD: standard deviation; CI: confidence interval.

Bold values help the reader to see what is statically significant as defined in this study (that is, below the 5% level).

Table 5. Bivariate correlations (Pearson r) for all variables among occupational therapists (n = 170).

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Background variables
1. Sex (1 = women; 2 = men)	1
2. Age	–0.11	1
3. Seniority	–0.12	0.64***	1
4. Working hours	–0.02	0.03	0.05	1
5. Sector (1 = specialist; 2 = municipality)	0.03	–0.10	–0.13	0.03	1
Job demands
6. General demands	0.04	–0.04	–0.02	0.06	0.17*	1
7. Role conflict	0.07	0.05	0.12	0.01	0.01	0.25**	1
8. Conflicts	–0.13	0.10	0.11	0.04	0.01	0.14	0.28***	1
9. Fragmented work tasks	0.05	0.01	0.13	–0.00	0.02	0.42***	0.36***	0.10	1
Job resources
10. Meaningful work	–0.03	0.08	0.01	–0.03	–0.01	0.10	–0.33***	–0.09	–0.16*
11. Job control	–0.08	0.02	–0.02	0.03	0.30***	–0.08	–0.27***	–0.06	–0.16*
12. Predictability	–0.01	0.06	–0.02	0.03	0.19*	–0.19*	–0.46***	–0.20**	–0.30***
13. Use strengths and potential	–0.15	–0.07	–0.09	0.04	0.02	0.11	–0.37***	–0.12	–0.10
14. Feedback leader	0.00	–0.18*	–0.21**	0.01	0.20**	–0.05	–0.30***	–0.28***	–0.14
15. Social support	0.09	–0.13	–0.12	0.05	0.07	–0.08	–0.40***	–0.34***	–0.23**
Health
16. Work engagement	–0.08	0.08	–0.07	0.02	0.01	0.09	–0.32***	–0.22**	–0.19*
17. Mental health problems	–0.01	–0.11	–0.03	–0.03	–0.11	0.23**	0.37***	0.26***	0.32***
18. Sick leave	–0.07	0.04	0.05	–0.06	0.11	0.03	0.28***	0.26***	0.08
19. Presenteeism	–0.05	0.01	–0.03	–0.01	0.11	0.17*	0.36***	0.41***	0.11
	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Job resources
10. Meaningful work	1
11. Job control	0.29***	1
12. Predictability	0.40***	0.52***	1
13. Use strengths and potential	0.54***	0.40***	0.47***	1
14. Feedback leader	0.19*	0.34***	0.58***	0.36***	1
15. Social support	0.33***	0.27***	0.45***	0.36***	0.44***	1
Health
16. Work engagement	0.54***	0.23**	0.36***	0.56***	0.32***	0.31***	1
17. Mental health problems	–0.21**	–0.21**	–0.41***	–0.18*	–0.34***	–0.37***	–0.39***	1
18. Sick leave	–0.16*	–0.12	–0.16*	–0.14	–0.15	–0.17*	–0.25**	0.27***	1
19. Presenteeism	–0.11	–0.08	–0.30***	–0.20**	–0.17*	−0.43***	−0.21**	0.45***	0.32***

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Table 6. Linear multiple regression analysis measuring how work-related factors affect work engagement among occupational therapists (n = 170).

	Model 0^a	Model 1^b	Model 2^b	Model 3^b
Background variables
Sex (women = 1, men = 2)	–0.08	–0.08	–0.02	–0.03
Age	0.08	0.12	0.12	0.13*
Job demands
General demands	0.09	0.26**		0.10
Role conflict	–0.32***	–0.27**		–0.04
Conflicts	–0.22**	–0.18*		–0.13
Fragmented work tasks	–0.19*	–0.17*		–0.12
Job resources
Meaningful work	0.54***		0.32***	0.30***
Job control	0.23**		–0.07	–0.03
Predictability	0.36***		0.03	–0.05
Opportunity to use one’s strengths and potential	0.56***		0.35***	0.35***
Feedback from leader	0.32***		0.17*	0.15
Social support	0.30***		0.06	0.01
Adjusted R^2		0.17	0.40	0.41

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. ^aBivariate (Pearson r). ^bMultivariate (standardised β), adjusted for the effects of the other variables included in the regression model.

Table 7. Linear multiple regression analysis measuring how work-related factors affect mental health problems among occupational therapists (n = 170).

	Model 0^a	Model 1^b	Model 2^b	Model 3^b	Model 4^b
Background variables
Sex (women = 1, men = 2)	0.01	–0.03	0.01	–0.01	–0.01
Age	–0.11	–0.14*	–0.15*	–0.16*	–0.12
Job demands
General demands	0.23**	0.06		0.07	0.10
Role conflict	0.37***	0.25**		0.13	0.12
Conflicts	0.26***	0.18*		0.10	0.06
Fragmented work tasks	0.32**	0.19*		0.14	0.11
Job resources
Meaningful work	–0.21**		–0.05	–0.03	0.06
Job control	–0.21**		–0.02	0.02	0.00
Predictability	–0.41***		–0.23*	–0.12	–0.13
Opportunity to use one’s strengths and potential	–0.18*		0.08	0.06	0.16
Feedback from leader	–0.34***		–0.16*	–0.16	–0.12
Social support	–0.37***		–0.24**	–0.16	–0.16
Work engagement	–0.39***				–0.32***
Adjusted R^2		0.20	0.20	0.26	0.31

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. ^aBivariate (Pearson r). ^bMultivariate (standardised β), adjusted for the effects of the other variables included in the regression model.

Data availability statement

Data are available from the corresponding author on request.