Perceived work stress and mental health among employees: Testing the longitudinal reciprocal and temporary dynamic effects

Existing evidence suggests that the effects between perceived work stress and mental health might be reciprocal. To further investigate this, we aimed to provide insights into the direction of effects between perceived work stress and mental health under varying time frames. In Study 1, a three-wave longitudinal inquiry was undertaken among a cohort of Chinese employees (n = 366) over the span of 1 month, with assessments conducted at 2-week intervals. Data were analyzed using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. In Study 2, a 16-day diary study was conducted involving a separate cohort of Chinese employees (n = 61). The dynamic reciprocal effects between perceived work stress and mental health at the within-person level were examined using a dynamic structural equation model. In Study 1, the effect from perceived work stress to mental health was significant from Time 1 to Time 2 but nonsignificant from Time 2 to Time 3. By contrast, the effect from mental health to perceived work stress was nonsignificant from Time 1 to Time 2, as well as from Time 2 to Time 3. In Study 2, perceived work stress showed a significant impact on mental health among employees at the within-person level, while mental health did not show a significant impact on perceived work stress. Collectively, our findings indicate that perceived work stress significantly impacts mental health among employees on both a daily temporal scale and in longitudinal investigations. Our study findings highlight the importance of designing interventions to reduce perceived work stress to enhance the mental health of employees.