Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows
High mental health risks and life imbalance among postdoctoral fellows (postdocs) are persistent concerns in academia. However, little is known about the relationship between these two subjects and whether autonomy at work is linked to life balance among postdocs. Online survey responses from 117 po...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416724/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850101375039438848 |
|---|---|
| author | Brian K. Lo In Young Park David Choung Melissa McTernan Erin Sibley Kirsten K. Davison |
| author_facet | Brian K. Lo In Young Park David Choung Melissa McTernan Erin Sibley Kirsten K. Davison |
| author_sort | Brian K. Lo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High mental health risks and life imbalance among postdoctoral fellows (postdocs) are persistent concerns in academia. However, little is known about the relationship between these two subjects and whether autonomy at work is linked to life balance among postdocs. Online survey responses from 117 postdocs (59% women; 49% non-Hispanic white) were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis to examine whether the work-method autonomy and perceived boundary control of postdocs were linked to life balance. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was used to examine whether postdocs who reported better life balance had lower risks of reporting mood disorder symptoms. We found that 39%, 27%, and 45% of postdocs reported anxiety, depressive, and anxiety-or-depressive disorder symptoms, respectively. Both work-method autonomy and perceived boundary control were positively associated with life balance [B = 0.40, 95% CI = [0.20–0.60]; B = 0.50, 95% CI = [0.32–0.67], respectively]. Postdocs with greater life balance had decreased odds of reporting mood disorder symptoms [anxiety disorder symptoms: adjusted OR = 0.55, 95% CI = (0.37–0.82); depressive disorder symptoms: adjusted OR = 0.31, 95% CI = (0.18–0.55); anxiety-or-depressive disorder symptoms: adjusted OR = 0.42, 95% CI = (0.27–0.65)]. Postdocs' mental health appeared to be influenced by life balance, which may be enhanced by providing work-method autonomy and increasing perceived boundary control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b548e9e44c104d8bae35cd2bd98b1862 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-b548e9e44c104d8bae35cd2bd98b18622025-08-20T02:40:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-12-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.14167241416724Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellowsBrian K. Lo0In Young Park1David Choung2Melissa McTernan3Erin Sibley4Kirsten K. Davison5Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaSchool of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United StatesMorrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United StatesResearch Services, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United StatesOffice of the Vice Provost for Research, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United StatesSchool of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United StatesHigh mental health risks and life imbalance among postdoctoral fellows (postdocs) are persistent concerns in academia. However, little is known about the relationship between these two subjects and whether autonomy at work is linked to life balance among postdocs. Online survey responses from 117 postdocs (59% women; 49% non-Hispanic white) were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis to examine whether the work-method autonomy and perceived boundary control of postdocs were linked to life balance. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was used to examine whether postdocs who reported better life balance had lower risks of reporting mood disorder symptoms. We found that 39%, 27%, and 45% of postdocs reported anxiety, depressive, and anxiety-or-depressive disorder symptoms, respectively. Both work-method autonomy and perceived boundary control were positively associated with life balance [B = 0.40, 95% CI = [0.20–0.60]; B = 0.50, 95% CI = [0.32–0.67], respectively]. Postdocs with greater life balance had decreased odds of reporting mood disorder symptoms [anxiety disorder symptoms: adjusted OR = 0.55, 95% CI = (0.37–0.82); depressive disorder symptoms: adjusted OR = 0.31, 95% CI = (0.18–0.55); anxiety-or-depressive disorder symptoms: adjusted OR = 0.42, 95% CI = (0.27–0.65)]. Postdocs' mental health appeared to be influenced by life balance, which may be enhanced by providing work-method autonomy and increasing perceived boundary control.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416724/fullpostdoctoral fellowmental healthlife balancework autonomyanxietydepressive disorder symptoms |
| spellingShingle | Brian K. Lo In Young Park David Choung Melissa McTernan Erin Sibley Kirsten K. Davison Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows Frontiers in Psychology postdoctoral fellow mental health life balance work autonomy anxiety depressive disorder symptoms |
| title | Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows |
| title_full | Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows |
| title_fullStr | Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows |
| title_short | Examining the associations between mental health, life balance, work-method autonomy, and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows |
| title_sort | examining the associations between mental health life balance work method autonomy and perceived boundary control among postdoctoral fellows |
| topic | postdoctoral fellow mental health life balance work autonomy anxiety depressive disorder symptoms |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416724/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brianklo examiningtheassociationsbetweenmentalhealthlifebalanceworkmethodautonomyandperceivedboundarycontrolamongpostdoctoralfellows AT inyoungpark examiningtheassociationsbetweenmentalhealthlifebalanceworkmethodautonomyandperceivedboundarycontrolamongpostdoctoralfellows AT davidchoung examiningtheassociationsbetweenmentalhealthlifebalanceworkmethodautonomyandperceivedboundarycontrolamongpostdoctoralfellows AT melissamcternan examiningtheassociationsbetweenmentalhealthlifebalanceworkmethodautonomyandperceivedboundarycontrolamongpostdoctoralfellows AT erinsibley examiningtheassociationsbetweenmentalhealthlifebalanceworkmethodautonomyandperceivedboundarycontrolamongpostdoctoralfellows AT kirstenkdavison examiningtheassociationsbetweenmentalhealthlifebalanceworkmethodautonomyandperceivedboundarycontrolamongpostdoctoralfellows |