Work stress and emotional disorders in community workers: A parallel mediation analysis

This study investigated the relationship between work stress and emotional disorders among community workers, with particular emphasis on the mediating roles of life stress and physiological stress. We conducted a paper-based questionnaire with 1,834 community workers in China. Our findings indicated that work stress was a significant predictor of emotional disorders, with life stress and physiological stress mediating this relationship. Specifically, life stress accounted for 15.32% of the total effect, while physiological stress explained 45.16% of the total effect, highlighting the importance of addressing both types of stressor in interventions designed to improve the mental health of community workers. These findings enhance understanding of the mechanisms linking work stress to emotional disorders. They also offer practical implications for designing holistic stress-management interventions for frontline public service workers.