Open AccessEffect Modification by Coping Strategies on the Association of Organizational Justice with Psychological Distress in Japanese Workers
Author(s) -
Nakagawa Yuko,
Inoue Akiomi,
Kawakami Norito,
Tsuno Kanami,
Tomioka Kimiko,
Nakanishi Mayuko,
Mafune Kosuke,
Hiro Hisanori
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of occupational health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 1348-9585
DOI - 10.1539/joh.13-0233-oa
Subject(s) - procedural justice , interactional justice , psychology , coping (psychology) , mental health , distress , clinical psychology , organizational justice , psychological distress , social psychology , organizational commitment , psychiatry , perception , neuroscience
Effect Modification by Coping Strategies on the Association of Organizational Justice with Psychological Distress in Japanese Workers: Yuko NAKAGAWA, et al . Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan—Objectives Several previous studies showed that the lack of organizational justice was associated with poor mental health. However, no study examined the effect modification by internal factor, such as coping strategies, on the association of organizational justice with mental health. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect modification by coping strategies on the association of organizational justice with psychological distress. Methods A total of 471 men and 764 women from a manufacturing company in Japan completed self‐administered questionnaires, including the Organizational Justice Questionnaire, K6 scale (i.e., psychological distress scale), Brief Scales for Coping Profile, and demographic characteristics. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted for each coping strategy. Results After adjusting for demographic characteristics, the association of the lack of procedural justice with psychological distress was greater among the low changing a point of view group than among their counterparts. Furthermore, the interaction term of procedural justice with changing a point of view was significant. The association of the lack of procedural justice and interactional justice with psychological distress was also greater among the high emotional expression involving others group than among their counterparts, while the interaction terms of procedural justice and interactional justice with emotional expression involving others were marginally significant. Conclusions Positive emotion‐focused coping strategies, such as changing a point of view, may effectively prevent psychological distress when there is a lack of organizational justice, while problem‐focused coping strategies may have no effects, and negative emotion‐focused coping strategies, such as emotional expression involving others, may have harmful effects on the association.