PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF WORK MOTIVATION
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Keywords
Psychological Distress, Work-motivation, and Professional Competency
Abstract
Background. Psychological distress poses devastating effects on work motivation, and professional competency of the medical professionals (i.e., Doctors and Nurses).
Objectives. The main objective of the study was to find out the association between psychological distress, work motivation, and professional competency. Moreover, to assess the mediational role of work motivation in the relationship between distress and professional competency in medical professionals.
Research Design. In this study cross-sectional correlational design was adopted. A total sample was comprised of N=220 medical professionals among them n=126 were doctors (i.e., male=62, female=64) and n=94 nurses (i.e., male= 45, female=49). The sample was having varied socioeconomic backgrounds with the age range from 28 to 37 years. The constructs of the study were explored by implementing standardized psychological research instruments (e.g., “Kessler Psychological Distress Scale”, “Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale” and “Professional Competency Scale”).
Findings. Psychological distress was negatively associated with work motivation and professional competency. Furthermore, work motivation partially mediated the relationship between psychological distress and professional competency in medical professionals. Additionally, medical professionals belonging to nursing (including male and female) and female medical professionals (including doctors and Nurses) scored higher in work motivation as compared to doctors and male medical professionals.
Conclusion. Psychological distress should be controlled among medical professionals to boost their level of work motivation and professional competencies. For this very purpose, individual and group counseling sessions with medical professionals should be introduced, thus, they can effectively deal with psychological issues that they are facing.
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Dr. Bushra Naz
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology University of the Central Punjab (UCP) Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Salman
Department of Psychology Government College University (GCU) Lahore.
Dr. Muhammad Kashif Fida
Organizational Psychologist/Head OD, Chair Center for Assessment, Research and Employees’ Evaluation (CARE), Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Zohaib Khan
Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Psychology, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
Arooj Nazir
Lecturer, Department of Psychology University of the Central Punjab (UCP) Lahore, Pakistan.
Amber Baseer
Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of the Central Punjab (UCP) Lahore, Pakistan.
Anam Naeem
Lecturer, Higher Education Department, Punjab, Pakistan