Mental distress and well-being in geriatric professionals: The role of job satisfaction

Background: As limited evidence is available on health professionals’ experience during the post-pandemic period, the interplay between job satisfaction components, mental distress and well-being was investigated among workers of an Italian geriatric institution. Methods: In Spring 2022, 205 participants (females =75.6%), primarily healthcare assistants (36.6%), nurses (16.6%), and rehabilitation professionals (14.1%), completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), and the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data analyses comprised Multiple Regressions, Relative Weight Analyses, and ANOVA. Findings: Satisfaction with working conditions and leadership exhibited negative associations with distress, while satisfaction with patients, colleagues, results, and leadership were positively correlated with well-being. Participants with high well-being levels scored significantly lower across mental distress dimensions than participants reporting poor well-being levels. Conclusions: Results showed that specific job satisfaction components relate differently to distress and well-being, suggesting the need for implementing organizational resources, psychological support, and interprofessional collaboration in healthcare services.