Relationship between Psychological Capital and Psychological Well-Being of Doctors Working in Emergency Wards; Mindfulness as Moderator

Abstract

Doctors, working in a high-stress environment, like emergency departments, can suffer from significant psychological distress which can lead to poor job performance and increased burnout. In such situation these positive personality attributes such as psychological capital, mindfulness may enhance performance and keep doctors away from burn out and enhance Psychological Well-being. The current study examined the relationship between psychological capital and psychological well-being (PWB) of emergency doctors in Pakistan, and whether mindfulness moderated that relationship. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 210 doctors (116 males, 94 females; Mean age = 31.09 years) using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (Luthans et al., 2007), Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff & Keyes, 1995), and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003). Results showed a strong, positive relationship between psychological capital and psychological well-being with psychological capital accounting for 16% variance in psychological well-being. Mindfulness could not predict psychological well-being, but moderation analysis results showed that mindfulness significantly moderated the psychological capital and psychological well-being relationships. The results showed that the relationship between psychological capital and psychological well-being was significantly stronger as mindfulness increases. These results highlight the important of developing psychological capital and mindfulness in healthcare professionals in enhancing resilience and psychological well-being in a challenging and high-stress emergency department.