title: Mediating the relation between workplace stressors and distress in ID support staff: comparison between the roles of psychological inflexibility and coping styles.
abstract: The present study examined how different patterns of coping influence psychological distress for staff members in programs serving individuals with intellectual disabilities. With a series of path models, we examined the relative usefulness of constructs (i.e., wishful thinking and psychological inflexibility) from two distinct models of coping (i.e., the transactional model and the psychological flexibility models, respectively) as mediators to explain how workplace stressors lead to psychological distress in staff serving individuals with intellectual disabilities. Analyses involved self-report questionnaires from 128 staff members (84% female; 71% African American) from a large, state-funded residential program for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities in the southern United States of America. Cross-sectional path models using bootstrapped standard errors and confidence intervals revealed both wishful thinking and psychological inflexibility mediated the relation between workplace stressors and psychological distress when they were included in separate models. However, when both variables were included in a multiple mediator model, only psychological inflexibility remained a significant mediator. The results suggest psychological inflexibility and the psychological flexibility model may be particularly useful for further investigation on the causes and amelioration of workplace-related stress in ID settings.
authors: University of Mississippi, Department of Psychology, 205 Peabody, University, MS 38677, United States. Electronic address: ajkurz@go.olemiss.edu.
authors: A Solomon
authors: AS
authors: Kurz
authors: University of Mississippi, Department of Psychology, 205 Peabody, University, MS 38677, United States; North Mississippi Regional Center, 967 Regional Center Drive, Oxford, MS 38655, United States. Electronic address: jsbethay@olemiss.edu.
authors: J Scott
authors: JS
authors: Bethay
authors: University of Mississippi, Department of Psychology, 205 Peabody, University, MS 38677, United States. Electronic address: jmladner@go.olemiss.edu.
authors: Jennifer M
authors: JM
authors: Ladner-Graham
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000451:nursing*; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acceptance; African American; Coping; Intellectual disability; Mediation; Psychological flexibility; Support staff; Work stress