chapter 11

Chapter 11: Psychological Well-being and Maladjustment at Work

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the value of work for psychological well-being: Understanding how work impacts personal adjustment and life satisfaction.

  • Distinguish between approaches: Differentiate between well-being and pathogenic approaches to psychological health.

  • Positive psychology: Explain its relevance to psychological health.

  • Identify psychological disorders: Differentiate between psychological disorders and work dysfunctions.

  • Evaluate indigenous African explanations: Explore local understandings of psychological health.

  • Identify causes of psychological health issues: Understand various factors contributing to psychological health.

  • Identify stressors: Recognize different stressors affecting personal and work adjustments.

  • Compare psychological disorders: Understand characteristics of various disorders.

  • Describe work dysfunctions: Explain types and characteristics of work-related dysfunctions.

  • Promote psychological health: Discuss levels of intervention for health promotion.

Value of Work in Psychological Health and Well-being

  • Work has positive long-term effects on personal adjustment, life satisfaction, and family life.

  • Poor work experiences and loss of work lead to psychological ill-effects for individuals and communities.

  • Positive psychology research indicates a relationship between positive psychological attributes and work outcomes.

  • Employees should identify attributes that bring happiness; employers should create positive work environments.

Psychologically Healthy Employees

  • Employees regarded as having employability capital, which is informed by various forms of capital:

    • Psychological Capital: Skills and competencies that enhance employability.

    • Social Capital: Relationships and networks beneficial for work.

    • Reputation Capital: An employee's perceived value within and outside the organization.

  • The role of psychologists in addressing workplace issues include:

    • Identifying psychological adjustment problems, disorders, and dysfunctional behaviors.

    • Designing positive workplaces to enhance employee flourishing.

Defining Psychological Health

  • Psychologically healthy individuals demonstrate:

    • Integrated functioning with no signs of mental disorders.

    • Good relationships and coping abilities.

    • Autonomy and awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses.

Defining Maladjustment

  • Maladjustment refers to psychological disorders characterized by dysfunctional behavior leading to distress in functioning domains such as cognitive, emotional, and social.

Psychological Health Models

  • Occupational Mental Health: Integral adjustment and maladjustment impact personal effectiveness and happiness.

  • The relationship between employee and organizational well-being emphasizes mutual influence linked to work stress.

Contemporary Approaches to Psychological Health

  • Pathological Approach: Focused on diagnosing and treating illnesses and dysfunctions in workplace settings (e.g. CWBs).

  • Salutogenesis: Emphasizes well-being by fostering positive psychological resources and viewing challenges as growth opportunities.

Psychological Well-being Concepts in Positive Psychology

  • Subjective experiences and positive emotions are crucial for psychological health.

  • Key well-being concepts include:

    • Subjective well-being

    • Happiness

    • Flourishing

Stress Models

  • Types of Stress:

    • Eustress: Positive energy leading to improved performance.

    • Distress: Negative stress overwhelming coping resources.

  • Effects on the immune system; recognition of acute versus chronic stress.

Determinants of Psychological Health and Maladjustment

  • Personal Unique Factors: Genetic, social, and cultural influences.

  • External Factors: Traumatic events and socio-economic conditions act as stress influencers.

Personal and Work Stressors

  • Everyday hassles and uplifts can aggregate into significant stress.

  • Major life event changes can induce acute stress reactions needing adaptive behavior.

Integrated Model of Work Stress

  • Important mediating factors:

    • Individual perception of stress intensity.

    • Coping resources' availability.

  • Work-role stressors include lack of autonomy, role ambiguity, and lack of social support.

  • Organizational factors impacting stress include poor conditions and management behavior.

Classification of Psychological Maladjustment

  • Based on clinical history, observations, and diagnostic tests comparing maladaptive behavior against societal norms.

Diagnostic Systems: DSM and ICD

  • DSM-5: Used primarily for classifying psychological disorders.

  • ICD-11: Provides a broader coding system accommodating cultural aspects in disorder descriptions.

Psychological Disorders and Work

  • Various psychological disorders impact work performance, necessitating careful diagnosis and understanding for effective intervention.

    • Types of psychological disorders:

      • Anxiety Disorders: Generalized anxiety, phobias, panic disorder.

      • Mood Disorders: Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder.

      • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: OCD and related conditions.

      • Personality Disorders: Divided into three clusters based on behaviors.

Workplace Dynamics and Employee Behavior

  • Work dysfunctions stem from psychological disorders that disrupt work behavior.

  • Counterproductive Work Behaviors (CWBs): Actions harmful to organizational interests.

Career and Work-Performance Problems

  • Challenges in career development can stem from immaturity, unrealistic expectations, and lack of responsibility in career choices.

Promoting Organizational Well-being

  • Healthy organizations show low employee stress and high overall satisfaction along with positive inter-employee relationships.

  • Health promotion strategies can include:

    • Addressing physical work environment first.

    • Improving coping strategies and psychosocial climate in the organization.