Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction
Verbal aggression toward healthcare professionals, primarily from patients and visitors, is widespread and negatively affects employee well-being and patient care quality. This study, comprising two samples, investigates the relationship between user-initiated verbal aggression and job satisfaction,...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/4/478 |
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| author | Elena Cavallari Ilaria Setti Matteo Curcuruto Valentina Sommovigo |
| author_facet | Elena Cavallari Ilaria Setti Matteo Curcuruto Valentina Sommovigo |
| author_sort | Elena Cavallari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Verbal aggression toward healthcare professionals, primarily from patients and visitors, is widespread and negatively affects employee well-being and patient care quality. This study, comprising two samples, investigates the relationship between user-initiated verbal aggression and job satisfaction, with a focus on psychological processes (i.e., cynicism and mental distance) and personal boundary conditions (i.e., self-efficacy). Study 1 (pandemic period) explored cynicism and work-related self-efficacy, while Study 2 (post-pandemic) replicated and expanded these findings, incorporating mental distance, self-efficacy in managing negative emotions, and workload. Participants included 201 (Study 1) and 1442 (Study 2) healthcare professionals from one and eight Italian healthcare facilities, respectively, who completed online questionnaires. In both cross-sectional studies, verbal aggression was positively associated with psychological withdrawal responses, which, in turn, was negatively related to job satisfaction. However, high self-efficacy in managing negative emotions (rather than work-related self-efficacy) buffered these effects. In Study 2, the negative impact of verbal aggression on job satisfaction, mediated by mental distance, was most pronounced among those with low self-efficacy in managing negative emotions and a high workload. Conversely, individuals with high self-efficacy maintained their job satisfaction and did not exhibit psychological withdrawal, even under high workload conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3099a9a9bebf46cc8a7577e5815747cb |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-3099a9a9bebf46cc8a7577e5815747cb2025-08-20T02:17:19ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-04-0115447810.3390/bs15040478Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job SatisfactionElena Cavallari0Ilaria Setti1Matteo Curcuruto2Valentina Sommovigo3Unit of Applied Psychology, Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyUnit of Applied Psychology, Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Human Sciences, European University of Rome, 00163 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza, University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyVerbal aggression toward healthcare professionals, primarily from patients and visitors, is widespread and negatively affects employee well-being and patient care quality. This study, comprising two samples, investigates the relationship between user-initiated verbal aggression and job satisfaction, with a focus on psychological processes (i.e., cynicism and mental distance) and personal boundary conditions (i.e., self-efficacy). Study 1 (pandemic period) explored cynicism and work-related self-efficacy, while Study 2 (post-pandemic) replicated and expanded these findings, incorporating mental distance, self-efficacy in managing negative emotions, and workload. Participants included 201 (Study 1) and 1442 (Study 2) healthcare professionals from one and eight Italian healthcare facilities, respectively, who completed online questionnaires. In both cross-sectional studies, verbal aggression was positively associated with psychological withdrawal responses, which, in turn, was negatively related to job satisfaction. However, high self-efficacy in managing negative emotions (rather than work-related self-efficacy) buffered these effects. In Study 2, the negative impact of verbal aggression on job satisfaction, mediated by mental distance, was most pronounced among those with low self-efficacy in managing negative emotions and a high workload. Conversely, individuals with high self-efficacy maintained their job satisfaction and did not exhibit psychological withdrawal, even under high workload conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/4/478user verbal aggressionhealthcare workerspsychological withdrawal responsesself-efficacyjob satisfactionworkload |
| spellingShingle | Elena Cavallari Ilaria Setti Matteo Curcuruto Valentina Sommovigo Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction Behavioral Sciences user verbal aggression healthcare workers psychological withdrawal responses self-efficacy job satisfaction workload |
| title | Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction |
| title_full | Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction |
| title_fullStr | Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction |
| title_short | Coping in the Face of Verbal Aggression: The Role of Self-Efficacy in Protecting Healthcare Professionals’ Well-Being and Job Satisfaction |
| title_sort | coping in the face of verbal aggression the role of self efficacy in protecting healthcare professionals well being and job satisfaction |
| topic | user verbal aggression healthcare workers psychological withdrawal responses self-efficacy job satisfaction workload |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/4/478 |
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