The effect of learned helplessness on the psychological health of healthcare workers

Introduction: The study of the relationship between learned helplessness and psychological health in the workplace provides a good understanding of how psychological health functions and identifies the factors of well-being and psychological distress among caregiving staff. Methods: To examine the impact of learned helplessness on the determinants of psychological health among healthcare workers, we surveyed a sample of 141 Moroccan healthcare workers (62.41% female; M age =41.4). Results: The results indicated that psychological well-being at work is negatively correlated with feelings of learned helplessness. In contrast, psychological distress reports a significant positive correlation with feelings of helplessness among healthcare workers (-.28 and .35, respectively). Discussion: The study of the link between feelings of learned helplessness and psychological health at work provides a good understanding of the problem of psychological health at work among caregiving staff and identifies its determinants. This study's results underline that the feelings of helplessness that healthcare workers learn during their professional practice influence their psychological health and help to (partially) explain their psychological well-being and distress. The statistical analysis results reveal that learned helplessness reports a significant correlation coefficient with psychological well-being at work and its factors (serenity, social commitment, and social harmony). Take-home message: Our study underscores the critical link between learned helplessness and psychological health among healthcare professionals. It reveals that feelings of helplessness in caregivers not only lead to psychological distress but also predict it. Conversely, a sense of competence and strength fosters psychological well-being, positively impacting their psychological health. This highlights the importance of addressing these emotional states in the healthcare sector.

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