Psychosocial factors relating to adaptive capacity in a New Zealand District Health Board : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
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Date
2013
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Massey University
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Abstract
The purpose of the current research was to examine how factors identified in the
Organisational Health Framework (Hart & Cooper, 2001) may relate to stress and wellbeing
in a sample of the New Zealand health workforce. It was anticipated that the
findings would provide information as to what adaptive strategies may be utilised in the
health sector in both routine and emergency management contexts.
The research focusses on the individual and situational factors identified as having the
potential to contribute to positive outcomes. Salutogenesis (Antonovsky, 1979) is used
as an overarching paradigm for the context of the research to understand mechanisms
which promote adaptive capacity between individuals, teams and their organisation in
relation to predictors of stress and growth in a large New Zealand District Health Board
(DHB). Two New Zealand national emergency response exercises took place shortly
before data collection for the studies. The exercises provided examples of realistic
contexts within which to assess the individual and situational factors associated with
positive outcomes and adaptive capacity given that the health sector will have a large
part to play in the response and recovery to such emergency events.
The methodology applied self-report surveys. The first study comprised 155
participants across clinical, medical and nursing professions and management and
administration roles. Study 2 comprised 199 participants from the same role categories
as Study 1. In both studies, stress and growth were related to both individual and
situational factors but individual factors such as personality and coping strategies
appeared to play a more significant role than situational factors. The emotion–focussed
coping strategies adopted by these groups were positive rather than maladaptive.
Results show that emotion–focussed coping strategies may contribute to adaptive
capacity by successfully neutralising stressors in the sample. Implications of these
findings are discussed.
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Keywords
Organisational Health Framework, District Health Boards, Health workers' wellbeing, Job stress, Public health employees, Adaptability (Psychology), Coping strategies