情绪劳动与抑郁及焦虑的关系:情绪耗竭的中介作用

The Relationship Between Emotional Labor and Depression/Anxiety:Emotional Exhaustion As a Mediator

本研究探讨情绪劳动与抑郁、焦虑的关系,着力考察情绪耗竭在二者之间的中介作用。采用情绪劳动量表、情绪耗竭量表和SCL-90对328名零售业员工进行调查。结果表明:表面行为与情绪耗竭、抑郁及焦虑没有显著相关;深度行为对情绪耗竭、抑郁及焦虑有显著的负预测作用;情绪耗竭在情绪劳动与抑郁及焦虑之间起中介作用。

The topic of emotions in the workplace, especially emotional labor, has attracted the closer attention of researchers and theorists in recent years, Emotional labor is the process of regulating both feelings and expressions for organizational goals. Following Hochschild＇s seminal work, a number of researchers have since studied the effects of emotional labor on workers, with mixed findings. On the basis of previous relevant researches and literature of emotional labor, this study aimed to explore： （1） the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion; （2） the relationship between emotional labor and depression/anxiety; （3） the mediation role of emotional exhaustion between emotional labor and depression/anxiety specially. ELS, MBI and SCL-90 were applied and 328 employees in the retailing business participated in this study. The data was processed and analyzed by SPSS16.0. Correlation analysis showed that （ 1 ） deep acting, which is one dimension of emotional labor, was significantly negatively related to emotional exhaustion （ r = -. 215, p （. 01 ） and might predict emotional exhaustion. Employees used deep acting more frequently in their work to reduce their exhaustion. （2） Deep acting was significantly negatively related to depression （ r = -. 159, p 〈. 05） and anxiety （ r = -. 161, p 〈. 05）, and it might predict the depression and anxiety. Deep acting could alleviate depression and anxiety of employees. The result of regression analysis indicates that emotional exhaustion acts as a mediator between emotional labor and depression/anxiety. Regression analysis showed that deep acting influenced emotional exhaustion （beta = - .242, p〈 .01）, depression （beta = - 〈 159, p〈 .05） and anxiety （beta = -. 106, p〈 .05） in the first and second step. When exhaustion began the third step at which point deep acting became insignificant, a mediation effect was indicated. Overall, the results showed that surface acting had no significant correlation with exhaustion, depression or anxiety; deep acting was significantly and negatively predictable to emotional exhaustion, depression and anxiety. Emotional exhaustion plays a mediator role between emotional labor and depression/anxiety. Tbery of Conservation of Resources The holds that mental resources are limited; so overused mental resources can lead to emotioaal exhaustion and influence psychdogical health. From this point of view, several issues are noticeable in the present studies. Fttst, deep acting is a distinct and useful strategy, which can provide mental resources and thereby diminish emotioaal exhaustion, depression and anxiety of employees. So it seems organizations should train their employees to use more deep acting in their work. I-bwever, mental resources from deep acting are limited, organizations should provide other approaches so as to help their employees obtain mental resources. For instance, creating a supportive work atmopbere will reduce mental depletion during their emaotional labor.