Exploring potential predictors of psychological distress among employees : a systematic review

Abstract

Psychological distress is becoming more prominent among employees in various workplaces. Previous studies have reported that some forms of psychological distress such as stress, depression and anxiety, have been suffered by a significant proportion of employees globally. These conditions could lead to harmful consequences, affecting the physical, social and work functioning of the employee, if not addressed at an earlier stage. This study aims to identify the predictors of psychological distress being suffered by employees in respective of their profession. To achieve this aim, a systematic review of related literature was conducted. Various databases including Scopus, PsychINFO, MEDLINE and Google Scholar, were searched for related studies published from 2009 to 2019. Out of the 1219 studies found from the literature search, only 79 studies met the inclusion criteria to be included in this research. A total of 22 factors were collated from the studies reviewed, as potential predictors of psychological distress, which includes lack of exercise, poor time management skills, high workload and poor working relationship. These factors were further grouped into five constructs using thematic analysis, namely lifestyle choices, physiological health, job attitudes, work factors and psychosocial factors. This study, therefore, contributes to the literature on occupational psychology.