ArticleBMC psychology2021
Prevalence of mental health problems and associated factors among front-line public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: an effort-reward imbalance model-informed study.
Article in BMC psychology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers.
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33 citing papers in PubMed, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of a WHO self-help psychological intervention to alleviate stress among healthcare workers in the context of COVID-19 in China: a randomised controlled trial.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2024Trial
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of depressive symptoms and work-ralated psychoacial factors among healthcare workers.Discover mental health · 2026Review
- The relationship between effort-reward imbalance and presenteeism among nurses: a cross-sectional study from China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Psychological Empowerment as a Mediator of Effort-Reward Imbalance Effects on Burnout, Anxiety and Depression Among Nursing Home Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
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- A simulation-based network analysis of intervention targets for comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety in Chinese healthcare workers in the post-dynamic zero-COVID policy era.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
- Reward frustration and withdrawal from work in health care-a cross-sectional study among health professionals.Frontiers in health services · 2025Article
- Effort-reward imbalance and well-being among psychiatric nurses: the mediating role of burnout and decent work.BMC nursing · 2024Article
- Understanding the mental health and intention to leave of the public health workforce in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Effort-reward imbalance and common mental disorders among public sector employees of Iran: a cross-sectional analysis.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Mechanisms Explaining the Longitudinal Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on Work Engagement and Emotional Exhaustion among Education and Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Evaluating the association between effort-reward imbalance and suboptimal health status among hospital nurses: a cross-sectional study.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2024Article
- Effort-reward imbalance and sleep quality in railway locomotive stewards: a cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Effort-reward and overcommitment at work and psychiatric symptoms in healthcare professionals: The mediation role of allostatic load.Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology · 2024Article
- A network approach to understanding occupational psychological distress: linking depression, anxiety, and burnout among Chinese healthcare professionals.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Association between dietary intake and symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women: Evidence from a community-based observational study.Food science & nutrition · 2023Article
- Association between occupational stress and mental health of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional research.Nursing open · 2023Article
- Psychosocial Occupational Health-A Priority for Middle-Income Countries?Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Associations of effort-reward imbalance at work and quality of life among workers after stroke: a one-year longitudinal study in Thailand.BMC public health · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPoor mental health status and associated risk factors of public health workers have been overlooked during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used the effort-reward imbalance model to investigate the association between work-stress characteristics (effort, over-commitment, reward) and mental health problems (anxiety and depression) among front-line public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
methodsA total of 4850 valid online questionnaires were collected through a self- constructed sociodemographic questionnaire, the adapted ERI questionnaire, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between ERI factors and mental health problems (i.e., depression and anxiety), with reward treated as a potential moderator in such associations.
resultsThe data showed that effort and over-commitment were positively associated with depression and anxiety, while reward was negatively associated with depression and anxiety. Development and job acceptance were the two dimensions of reward buffered the harmful effect of effort/over-commitment on depression and anxiety, whereas esteem was non-significant.
conclusionsThis study confirmed the harmful effects of effort and over-commitment on mental health among public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Such effects could be alleviated through an appropriate reward system, especially the development and job acceptance dimensions of such a system. These findings highlight the importance of establishing an emergency reward system, comprising reasonable work-allocation mechanism, bonuses and honorary titles, a continuous education system and better career-development opportunities.
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