Psychological wellness as correlates to mental health status and its impact on the shift-rota schedule / Jojo Lomibao Tandoc. 6

Thesis (M.A.) -- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, 2008.;A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate School of Arts, Sciences and Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. 56

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ABSTRACT: The study focuses on the influence of working on the twelve hour shift rota schedule on the psychological wellness of employees at TeaM Sual Corporation. Specifically, the researcher determined the quality of life of the respondents in terms of physical well-being, personal growth, marital relations, job characteristics, occupational relations, parent child relations, job satisfier, and social desirability. Also, the mental health status of respondents was determined as assets and liabilities. Furthermore, it was tested if there was a significant relationship between the psychological wellness and mental health status of respondents working on a twelve hour shift rota schedule. The researcher also identified the common issues of the respondents expose on the twelve hour shift rota schedule. In order to measure the psychological wellness of employees and their mental health status, standardized instruments were used. Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to measure the psychological wellness of the respondents and mental health analysis was used to measure mental health status of respondents. Furthermore, to gather qualitative data, focus group discussion was also used by the researcher. The study employed descriptive-correlational method in assessing the relationship of the psychological wellness and mental health status of respondents working on a twelve hour shift rota schedule. The respondents of the study were employees of TeaM Sual Corporation assigned at the Operations Department. There are 82 respondents in the study. The researcher utilized universal approach in the study. As for the findings of the study, in terms of the quality of life of the respondents, most of them fell below average as to personal growth and job characteristics. While most of them scored higher in social desirability. As to their mental health issues, the total score of the respondents signify that the employees have healthy mental health status with an above average score equivalent to a sixty percentile (60%) with consideration however on certain variables such as social participation and adequate outlook and goals where most respondents fell below. In the liabilities domain, nervous manifestations fell below with a forty percentile (40%) scores that may imply certain concerns on the part of the respondents whereby it reflects that most of them may be suffering from nervous symptoms manifested in what appears to be physical disorders. These people may have been inhibiting functional expressions of emotional conflict. Moreover, in terms of relationship, there is a very strong relationship between the psychological wellness of employees and their mental health status as to assets: close personal relations, interpersonal relations, satisfying works and recreation, adequate outlook and goals. While there is very weak or negligible relationship between psychological wellness and social participation. As for liabilities, nervous manifestations have a very weak relationship between the psychological wellness and mental health status. Finally, the study was able to found out that the respondents most common issue are having trouble with sleeping at day time coming from their night shift duty, parent child relations, marital problems, lack of social activities and physiological needs respectively. On the basis of the results of the study, the researcher recommends that the current schedule be revisited with due consideration on the policies and programs existing in the organization. A review committee should be convened to study the impact of the working schedule and that appropriate remedial measures be implemented soonest as this will impact operational performance if not given due course. Also, management should also revisit the policy on sick leave that requires mandatory clearance from the medical clinic before working. Secondly, personality development programs and certain lifestyle enhancement activities must be implemented to boost employees' morale. Furthermore, as employees felt inadequate in parent child relations, it is recommended that more programs with this nature should be intensified with a specific mandate that working employees should be present so as not to delegate this to their non-employee spouse. And lastly, regular meetings or toolbox meetings should be continued and intensified as employees are a little bit bothered and restless in the ongoing reorganization and as they felt they lack updates and information from the management. The researcher in this instance is recommending the conduct of organizational climate survey to secure more organizational concerns and that appropriate interventions be done immediately to avoid employer-employee conflicts. It is further recommended that more studies with higher population be conducted.

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