Abstract
Depression and anxiety are considered two of the most common mental health issues in the workplace. Mental ill health is felt widely by the employee, employer and the economy and therefore the promotion of mental health is crucial. Two personality factors, namely sense of coherence and locus of control seem to improve mental health.
The theoretical framework of this study was based on the Job-Demands Resources Model, however, instead of job demands and resources, personal demands and resources, were added and operationalised. Depresssion and anxiety were operationalised as personal demands, and sense of coherence and locus of control as personal resources. The aim of this study was to determine significant relationships among the study variables (depression, anxiety, locus of control, sense of coherence, work engagement and burnout). The second aim was to establish whether locus of control and sense of coherence (personal resources) played a moderating role in the relationship between anxiety and depression (personal demands) on the one hand, and work engagement and burnout (organisational health outcomes) on the other.
A quantitative cross-sectional research design was utilised and data was obtained from accessible adults in various workplaces and industries across South Africa (N=346). The findings showed that there are significant main effects for locus of control on work engagement and burnout, and sense of coherence on work engagement and burnout. Direct effects were also found for anxiety and depression, who both had significant direct effects on work engagement and burnout. The results however indicated that neither locus of control, nor sense of coherence acted as a moderator between depression and work engagement, depression and burnout, anxiety and work engagement, or between anxiety and burnout.
M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)