title: Psychosocial job characteristics and psychological distress / well-being: the mediating role of personal goal facilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the mediating role of personal goal facilitation through work (PGFW), defined as perceptions of the extent to which one's job facilitates the attainment of one's personal goals, in the association between psychosocial job characteristics and psychological distress and job-related well-being.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire data from 217 nurses (84% female, with a mean age of 42.7 years, SD=7.2) were analyzed. Participants completed the following measures: the Leiden Quality of Work Questionnaire for Nurses, Workplace Goal Facilitation Inventory, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (short version). A cross-sectional study design was applied. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that unfavorable psychosocial job characteristics (high demands, low control, and low social support) were associated with lower PGFW. Furthermore, personal goal facilitation through work explained significant additional variance (from 2 to 11%) in psychological distress (somatic complaints and emotional exhaustion) and job-related well-being (personal accomplishment, job satisfaction, and work engagement), controlling for demographic indicators and psychosocial job characteristics. Finally, the results provided support for the mediating effects of PGFW between all psychosocial job characteristics and all outcomes, except in the case of depersonalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that hindered personal goal facilitation may be a mechanism through which psychosocial job characteristics have a negative impact on employees' well-being.
authors.affiliation: Niccolò Cusano University, Faculty of Psychology.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pisanti
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Doef
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Violani
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lazzari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology