Sense of Coherence and Work Stress or Well-Being in Care Professionals: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Job-related stress affects the physical and psychological health of professionals dedicated to care. This work is a systematic review that aims to determine the relationships between a sense of coherence (SOC) and work stress and well-being perceived by care professionals. The review was carried out following the PRISMA guidelines, and the search was carried out using the Web of Science (WoS), PubMed, and Scopus databases, obtaining a final selection of 41 articles. The results indicate that stress, depression, burnout, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) negatively correlate with SOC; in contrast, job satisfaction, well-being, and quality of life positively correlate with SOC. It is concluded that SOC could act as a mediating variable and as a predictor variable of these health problems.

Work engagement and sense of coherence as predictors of psychological distress during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile

“…The variable with the strongest association with PD is the level of work-related stress, as in previous studies, particularly those from the COVID-19 pandemic frontline [ 56 ]. This was followed by SOC, an association also described in previous studies [ 57 ] as a mediating and predictive variable [ 30 ]. The synergy of both, i.e.…”

“…It is suggested that the promotion of healthy behaviours is closely related to personal resources and work engagement. Therefore, the SOC construct could perform as a mediator of mental health issues, by mobilising coping strategies, and as a predictor of engagement and healthy behaviours at work [ 30 ]. Employees become engaged in their work (high level of WE) when the work environment is perceived as organised and structured.…”

“…It is one's capability to comprehend circumstances, identify it as manageable, and have the ability to mobilise resources to effectively respond to it [ 29 ]. SOC appears to behave as an intermediating and predicting indicator of health status, where stress, burnout, and post-traumatic stress are negatively correlated with SOC, while job gratification, welfare, and quality of life are certainly correlated with this concept [ 30 ]. Indeed, the negative association of SOC with post-traumatic stress could be corresponded to the strain produced by the COVID-19 context [ 31 ].…”

Medical secretaries’ fears and opportunities in an increasingly digitalised workplace environment

“…, 2012). Enhanced health and well-being can be achieved by promoting strong SOC in workplace settings (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007), as the concept is closely tied to employees’ perspectives on their work climates (González-Siles et al. , 2022).…”

Analysis of the Level of Stress and Methods of Coping with Stress among the Nursing Staff

“…Hans Hugo Selye (the doctor who introduced the concept of stress) asserts that stress is the body’s reaction in the form of mobilizing energy to overcome various obstacles, barriers, requirements, regardless of whether it is accompanied by pleasant or unpleasant feelings. It is a non-specific reaction, i.e., its type does not depend on the type of factors that causes it [ 9 , 10 ].…”