Work-Related Negative Experience A Unification Model of Poor Employee Well-Being and Work-Related Mental Ill-Health and Substance Consumption

This cross-sectional study examines the relationship between poor employee well-being (PEWB) and work-related mental ill-health and substance consumption (MIH). It is proposed as a unification model that links both work-related negative consequences on the basis of the experiences of threat, loss, and frustration at work. PEWB contains the following elements: emotional discomfort, bodily uneasiness, organizational distance, task impairment, and dragging workday; and MIH includes work-related anxiety, depression, irritability, cigarette smoking, alcohol and drug consumption, and physical illness. Six hundred ninety-seven participants, working in a wide range of jobs and occupations, completed the survey. Results indicated that PEWB and MIH are significantly associated, after controlling for demographic and personal factors. Sense sharing between PEWB-MIH and PEWB element combination explained the relationships between both constructs. These findings could be helpful for organizations interested in preserving and improving worker mental health.