Moderated mediation model from stress to burnout among health professionals

Objectives: It is unclear whether poor health is a contributing factor or a consequence of burnout. We aimed to explore the relationship among job stress, physical health, mental health, burnout, and coping strategies among health professionals using a moderated mediation model. Methods: Health professionals in Taiwan were invited using a stratified and probability proportional to size sampling. A structure equation model (SEM) was used to examine relationships among job stress, burnout, and physical/mental health. The bootstrapping approach for moderated mediation analysis was then used to explore the role of coping strategies. Results: Totally 935 health professionals participated. The SEM model revealed that job stress was inversely associated with physical and mental health. The direct association between job stress and burnout was insignificant. Moderated mediation analysis revealed that job stress influenced burnout through physical health and mental health, and that the coping strategy of support-seeking moderated the indirect effect only through mental health. Conclusions: Support-seeking is a good coping strategy for health professionals to buffer the harmful effects of job stress on mental health.