Suneeta Yadav
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Department of Psychology, B.H.U.,
Varanasi
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to examine the potential mediating effects of occupational stress dimensions on the relationship between work-family conflict and mental health of female bank employees. Work-family conflict scale (Singh & Singh, 1996), mental health inventory (Jagdish & Srivastava, 1983) and occupational stress index (Srivastava & Singh, 1981) were administered individually to 250 clerical level female bank employees in the age range of 25-50 yrs educated at least up to the level of graduation and employed in nationalized banks in Varanasi and nearby regions in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The collected data was analyzed using a Pearson ‘r’ test and computing Partial correlations. Analysis of the data revealed that all dimensions of Occupational Stress, viz., Role Conflict, Poor Peer Relation, Intrinsic Impoverishment, Low Status, Strenuous Working Conditions, & Overall Occupational Stress, except Role Overload, partially mediate the relationship between Work-to-Family Conflict and Overall Mental Health. All dimensions of Occupational Stress, viz., Role Overload, Role Conflict, Poor Peer Relation, Intrinsic Impoverishment, Low Status, Strenuous Working Conditions & Overall Occupational Stress partially mediate the relationship between Family-to-Work Conflict and Overall Mental Health. The study gave important insights into work-family conflict and stress factors related to job amongst working women in the banking sector. Equally, there is need for banks to increase the level of support in the job conditions so as to promote mental health. Banks should explore other unconventional strategies such as muscle relaxation training, meditation and counselling. Simultaneously, government should also pay attention to conditions which can increase psychological well-being.
