Occupational Stress and Well-Being

A Framework for Protecting and Promoting Employee Mental Health through Supervisor Supportive Behaviors

“…Thus, a number of workplace psychosocial hazards (e.g., low social support, low autonomy, low recognition, high job demands, excessive workload, mistreatment, illegitimate tasks, role conflict, role ambiguity) have been related to mental health outcomes (e.g., Choi, 2018 ; Demerouti et al, 2001 ; Milner et al, 2013 , 2018 ; Nied hammer et al, 2021 ; Yarker et al, 2022 ), including elevated risk of death by suicide and suicidal behaviors (e.g., Greiner & Arensman, 2022 ; Milner et al, 2018 ), which is quickly becoming one of the leading causes of deaths among young adults ( SAMHSA, 2021 ). We argue that evidence-based workplace redesign interventions are needed to target these psychosocial risk factors by increasing worker schedule control and voice, moderating job demands, and by training supervisors and managers on increasing social support at work ( Hammer et al, 2023a ; Lovejoy et al, 2021 ). While evidence exists for the associations over time between these psychosocial risk factors and psychological and physical health (Nied hammer et al, 2021 ), the systematic evaluation of interventions incorporating such organizational-approaches is limited, especially in terms of impacts on mental health outcomes.…”

“…Thus, supervisors, managers, and leaders play a significant role in contributing to employee mental health ( Arnold, 2017 ; Hancock et al, 2023 ; Inceoglu et al, 2018 ; Kelloway & Barling, 2010 ), partially due to their discretion to enact policies and distribute resources ( Hammer et al, 2023a ), and partially due to their constructive or destructive social relationships with employees ( Hancock et al, 2023 ). This is also consistent with a recent systematic review of social support in the management sciences that points to the role of social support as a positive catalyst that can facilitate employee mental health ( Bavik et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Leaders and supervisors can impact on employees’ mental health in both positive and negative ways (e.g., Arnold, 2017 ; Hammer et al, 2023a ; Hancock et al, 2023 ; Inceoglu, et al, 2018 ). Here we focus on the role of the supervisor and manager in promoting mental health of employees because training leaders to increase their social support for employees has been one of the only evidence-based interventions to demonstrate promise in this area (see Kossek et al, 2019 ; Mohr et al, 2023 ), as well as demonstrating impact on more general daily well-being ( Mohr et al, 2021 ).…”

Vital Signs: Health Worker–Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health — Quality of Worklife Survey, United States, 2018–2022

“…Previous research found job stress interventions that changed aspects of the organization (e.g., increased manager social support) were more effective than were secondary (e.g., screening for stressors) or tertiary (e.g., individual stress management) ( 15 ) interventions. A recent review of management interventions suggests that training managers on mental health awareness and ways to support workers and improve safety culture shows promise for reducing worker stress and improving well-being ( 16 ). Working conditions that support productivity and foster trust in management might be more readily addressed than providing sufficient staffing, which can be challenging in resource-constrained settings.…”

The effects of a Total Worker Health intervention on workplace safety: Mediating effects of sleep and supervisor support for sleep.

“…Notably, the military has a hierarchical structure and a culture of respect for authority, which may have increased leaders’ ability to establish social normative beliefs surrounding sleep and service members’ inclination to practice the sleep behaviors suggested by their supervisors. Indeed, research has demonstrated that targeting leaders in workplace interventions can lead to beneficial employee outcomes due to leaders’ position in the organization (e.g., Hammer et al, 2023). The culture surrounding sleep in the U.S. military (e.g., viewing the need for sleep as a “weakness”; Ryan, 2023) may also limit the generalizability of our results.…”