Ewen Claire, Jackson Craig A, Galvin John
School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, Bartholomew Row, Birmingham, UK.
Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2025 May-Jun;60(3):e70046. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.70046.
Healthcare workers risk stress, burnout and fatigue from time pressures, insufficient workload control and ineffective support. Unaddressed, these issues can lead to the attrition of the workforce. Retention of speech and language therapists (SLTs) is an ongoing concern, but little is known about the relationship between SLT wellbeing and their workplaces.
The aims of the present study were therefore to: (1) Explore the levels of job satisfaction and general wellbeing of SLTs working clinically. (2) Describe the occupational environments of SLTs working clinically. (3) Investigate the relationship between job design and wellbeing outcomes. (4) Establish whether job satisfaction and general psychosocial wellbeing levels were consistent over time. (5) Explore whether personal changes/changes to work made by participants over a 3-month period impacted their job satisfaction and/or general wellbeing.
All SLTs practising clinically in the UK were eligible to participate. Participants were recruited via selective sampling (advertising in Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists publications) and snowballing (using social media). A longitudinal study, using an online survey at two time points (P1 and P2), approximately 3 months apart, measured work stressors of SLTs, job satisfaction and general wellbeing, using the Speech-language Pathologist Stress Inventory, Generic Job Satisfaction Survey and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). Relationships between job types, wellbeing and subsequent changes were analysed using multivariate analysis of variance.
Of the 632 participants at P1, 98% were women, 95% were white and the average age was 38.7 years. Ninety-one percent were working in England, and 85% were organisationally employed. At P1, 53.3% of participants who completed the GHQ-28 reported anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms of stress and social dysfunction. Those in high-demand, low-control, and low-support ('Isostrain') jobs (n = 105) had the lowest job satisfaction (p < 0.001, partial η = 0.383) and poorest wellbeing (p < 0.001, partial η = 0.210). Wellbeing scores were stable from P1 to P2 (n = 295). Making 'positive personal changes' had no impact on job satisfaction, although changing jobs did (t (16) = -3.225, p < 0.01).
Over half the participants in this study reported psychosocial ill health associated with the demands, control and support in their jobs. Psychosocial risks are embedded within work organisation, suggesting that employers and managers of SLTs consider the overall psychosocial design of jobs, with a view to improving retention. The use of a step-by-step risk assessment and intervention approach is recommended. Further research may corroborate the results and ensure better psychosocial risk management.
What is already known on the subject The extant literature on speech and language therapist (SLT) wellbeing reports various levels of job satisfaction and burnout. While this has been associated with several job factors, there is yet to be a comprehensive analysis of how job design impacts wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate this and provide a starting point for improving wellbeing through the consideration of job design. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge Results of this study indicate that, before the onset of COVID-19, just over one in two SLTs working clinically in the UK were at risk of being psychologically vulnerable to anxiety, depression, experiencing somatic symptoms of stress, and social dysfunction. Those who experienced high demand, low control and low support at work were more likely to experience psychological distress and low job satisfaction. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study has revealed a combination of potential workplace features that are associated with SLT wellbeing, suggesting employers consider the overall psychosocial design of SLT jobs, instead of viewing occupational factors individually. The JDCS model proved a suitable framework for describing SLT jobs; it could be used in the future to gain detailed knowledge about different elements that constitute particular SLT jobs. It is essential that the voices of SLTs who are primarily clinical are heard and used to inform this appraisal; collaboration between managers and clinicians is necessary for success in this endeavour.
医护人员面临因时间压力、工作量控制不足和支持无效而产生的压力、职业倦怠和疲劳。如果这些问题得不到解决，可能会导致劳动力流失。言语和语言治疗师（SLT）的留用一直是人们关注的问题，但对于SLT的幸福感与其工作场所之间的关系却知之甚少。
因此，本研究的目的是：（1）探究临床工作的SLT的工作满意度和总体幸福感水平。（2）描述临床工作的SLT的职业环境。（3）调查工作设计与幸福感结果之间的关系。（4）确定工作满意度和总体心理社会幸福感水平是否随时间保持一致。（5）探究参与者在3个月内的个人变化/工作变化是否会影响他们的工作满意度和/或总体幸福感。
所有在英国临床执业的SLT均有资格参与。通过选择性抽样（在皇家言语和语言治疗师学院的出版物上刊登广告）和滚雪球抽样（利用社交媒体）招募参与者。这是一项纵向研究，在两个时间点（P1和P2）进行在线调查，时间间隔约为3个月，使用言语病理学家压力量表、通用工作满意度调查问卷和一般健康问卷-28（GHQ-28）来测量SLT的工作压力源、工作满意度和总体幸福感。使用多变量方差分析来分析工作类型、幸福感和后续变化之间的关系。
在P1的632名参与者中，98%为女性，95%为白人，平均年龄为38.7岁。91%在英格兰工作，85%受雇于机构。在P1时，完成GHQ-28的参与者中有53.3%报告有焦虑、抑郁、压力的躯体症状和社会功能障碍。处于高需求、低控制和低支持（“等应变”）工作岗位（n = 105）的参与者工作满意度最低（p < 0.001，偏η = 0.383），幸福感最差（p < 0.001，偏η = 0.210）。从P1到P2，幸福感得分保持稳定（n = 295）。做出“积极的个人改变”对工作满意度没有影响，尽管换工作有影响（t(16) = -3.225，p < 0.01）。
本研究中超过一半的参与者报告了与工作中的需求、控制和支持相关的心理社会健康问题。心理社会风险存在于工作组织中，这表明SLT的雇主和管理者应考虑工作的整体心理社会设计，以提高留用率。建议采用逐步风险评估和干预方法。进一步的研究可能会证实这些结果，并确保更好的心理社会风险管理。
关于该主题已有的知识 关于言语和语言治疗师（SLT）幸福感的现有文献报告了不同程度的工作满意度和职业倦怠。虽然这与几个工作因素有关，但尚未对工作设计如何影响幸福感进行全面分析。本研究旨在对此进行调查，并为通过考虑工作设计来改善幸福感提供一个起点。本文对现有知识的补充 本研究结果表明，在新冠疫情爆发之前，在英国临床工作的SLT中，略多于二分之一的人在心理上有焦虑、抑郁、经历压力的躯体症状和社会功能障碍的风险。那些在工作中经历高需求、低控制和低支持的人更容易出现心理困扰和低工作满意度。这项工作的潜在或实际临床意义是什么？ 本研究揭示了一系列与SLT幸福感相关的潜在工作场所特征，建议雇主考虑SLT工作的整体心理社会设计，而不是单独看待职业因素。JDCS模型被证明是描述SLT工作的合适框架；未来可用于详细了解构成特定SLT工作的不同要素。至关重要的是，要听取主要从事临床工作的SLT的意见，并将其用于指导这一评估；管理者和临床医生之间的合作对于这项工作的成功至关重要。
Zotero 插件
