Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: We examined the moderating (buffering or amplifying) effect of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) on the association of job demands (psychological demands) and job resources (job control, supervisor support, coworker support, and extrinsic reward) with psychological distress among Japanes...

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Main Authors: Akiomi Inoue, Hisashi Eguchi, Yuko Kachi, Akizumi Tsutsumi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Safety and Health at Work
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791125000083
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author Akiomi Inoue
Hisashi Eguchi
Yuko Kachi
Akizumi Tsutsumi
author_facet Akiomi Inoue
Hisashi Eguchi
Yuko Kachi
Akizumi Tsutsumi
author_sort Akiomi Inoue
collection DOAJ
description Background: We examined the moderating (buffering or amplifying) effect of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) on the association of job demands (psychological demands) and job resources (job control, supervisor support, coworker support, and extrinsic reward) with psychological distress among Japanese employees. Methods: A self-report web-based questionnaire was administered to 2,200 employees (1,100 men and 1,100 women) registered with a Japanese private online survey company. The questionnaire included scales on job demands and job resources (the Job Content Questionnaire and the short-form Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire), PSC (the 12-item PSC scale), and psychological distress (the K6 scale) and items on participants' demographic and occupational characteristics (age, gender, education, occupation, work form, and working hours per week). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed using psychological distress as a dependent variable. Interaction terms of job demands and job resources with PSC were included. Results: There was a significant interaction effect of psychological demands with PSC on psychological distress (β = −0.053, p = 0.008), adjusted for demographic and occupational characteristics. Post hoc simple slope analysis showed that the simple slope of psychological demands was lesser at higher levels of PSC (1 standard deviation above the mean) (β = 0.101, p < 0.001) than at lower levels (1 standard deviation below the mean) (β = 0.199, p < 0.001). No significant interactions were observed between job resources and PSC. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PSC buffers the positive association of psychological demands with psychological distress.
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spelling doaj-art-a2b9cb6504da4adea9dd457023dc42e32025-08-20T03:47:01ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112025-06-0116221321910.1016/j.shaw.2025.02.001Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional StudyAkiomi Inoue0Hisashi Eguchi1Yuko Kachi2Akizumi Tsutsumi3Institutional Research Center, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, Japan; Corresponding author. Institutional Research Center, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu 807-8555, Japan.Department of Mental Health, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, Kitakyushu, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, JapanDepartment of Public Health, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, JapanBackground: We examined the moderating (buffering or amplifying) effect of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) on the association of job demands (psychological demands) and job resources (job control, supervisor support, coworker support, and extrinsic reward) with psychological distress among Japanese employees. Methods: A self-report web-based questionnaire was administered to 2,200 employees (1,100 men and 1,100 women) registered with a Japanese private online survey company. The questionnaire included scales on job demands and job resources (the Job Content Questionnaire and the short-form Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire), PSC (the 12-item PSC scale), and psychological distress (the K6 scale) and items on participants' demographic and occupational characteristics (age, gender, education, occupation, work form, and working hours per week). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed using psychological distress as a dependent variable. Interaction terms of job demands and job resources with PSC were included. Results: There was a significant interaction effect of psychological demands with PSC on psychological distress (β = −0.053, p = 0.008), adjusted for demographic and occupational characteristics. Post hoc simple slope analysis showed that the simple slope of psychological demands was lesser at higher levels of PSC (1 standard deviation above the mean) (β = 0.101, p < 0.001) than at lower levels (1 standard deviation below the mean) (β = 0.199, p < 0.001). No significant interactions were observed between job resources and PSC. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PSC buffers the positive association of psychological demands with psychological distress.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791125000083Amplifying effectBuffering effectJob demands-resources modelPrimary preventionPsychosocial risks
spellingShingle Akiomi Inoue
Hisashi Eguchi
Yuko Kachi
Akizumi Tsutsumi
Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study
Safety and Health at Work
Amplifying effect
Buffering effect
Job demands-resources model
Primary prevention
Psychosocial risks
title Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study
title_full Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study
title_fullStr Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study
title_full_unstemmed Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study
title_short Moderating Effect of Psychosocial Safety Climate on the Association of Job Demands and Job Resources With Psychological Distress Among Japanese Employees: A Cross-sectional Study
title_sort moderating effect of psychosocial safety climate on the association of job demands and job resources with psychological distress among japanese employees a cross sectional study
topic Amplifying effect
Buffering effect
Job demands-resources model
Primary prevention
Psychosocial risks
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791125000083
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