CURRENT ISSUE

Research Paper

1) Title: More than Just a Job: The Emotional Mechanics of Stress, Support and Satisfaction in Academic Life

Authors: Muqaddis Bibi, Sehrish Naeem, Giuseppe Modarelli, Malka Fareeha Azhar

Abstract: In higher education institutions, where emotional and psychological demands are substantial, workplace wellbeing is vital for both individual fulfillment and organizational effectiveness. This study examines, within the anchorage of Effort-Reward Imbalance Model and Transactional Theory of Work Stress, creates an integrated theoretical interpretative view about the effects of four key factors—workplace stress, social support, job satisfaction and coping strategies—on psychological wellbeing among employees in Pakistan’s academic sector, generalizing results to other similar contextual settings. It further explores the mediating role of emotional regulation in the relationship between social support and psychological wellbeing, considering job satisfaction, as well as the moderating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between workplace stress and psychological wellbeing. A purposive sample of 857 respondents was drawn from ten universities and eighteen departments across two provinces of Pakistan—Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Participants included university professors, faculty members, graduate and postgraduate scholars and administrative staff.The results indicate that although workplace stress is prevalent, most respondents reported high levels of psychological wellbeing, supported by strong social networks and job satisfaction. Effective coping mechanisms and emotional control have been identified as critical components of psychological stability. Furthermore, an important moderating element that lessened the detrimental impacts of stress on wellbeing has been recognized in terms of organizational support. The results highlight how intricately organizational, social and personal factors interact in promoting psychological health within learning environments (i.e. higher educational institution). The study suggests focused treatments to lower workplace stress, fortify social support networks and improve workers' emotional regulation abilities. By fostering a psychologically resilient staff, such initiatives can support the long-term wellbeing and productivity of workers operating within the institutions under scrutiny. A specific focus is provided analyzing the Pakistani context, due by its peculiar traits, but this study could be generalized in similar working areas and used as a starting point for further investigations.

Keywords: Psychological Wellbeing; Workplace Stress; Social Support; Emotional Regulation; Perceived Organizational Support; Coping Strategies.

Journal: PSYMETA: Journal of Psychological Research, Mind, Emotion, Therapy & Applications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16900803