Predictors of managers’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study reports early evidence of managers' mental health and its predictors during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in May 2020. In a sample of 646 managers from 49 countries, 5.3% (32) of managers reached the cutoff levels for disorders in distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6; K-6), 7.3% (38) experienced anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7; GAD-7), and 10.7% (56) had depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; PHQ-9). Age, relative income, and work status each predicted at least one of the conditions. Managers' 'illegitimate tasks' caused by COVID-19 predicted all three. Particularly noteworthy is the finding that the degree of downsizing an organization experienced during COVID-19 significantly predicted distress, anxiety, and depression for managers at the highest level (board members) only. This study helps identify managers in need of healthcare services as the COVID-19 pandemic affects organizations and their managers around the world.

Early Evidence and Predictors of Mental Distress of Adults One Month in the COVID-19 Epidemic in Brazil

“…For instance, future research can explore individuals’ work situations, employment sectors (e.g. public, private), self-employment, illegitimate work tasks, seniority at work, whether their workplace downsized, income level, the number of hours they work outside of the home, their health conditions, perceived COVID-19 test availability, belief in COVID as a conspiracy theory, 20, 27, 28 in the context of Brazil and Latin American countries.…”

Early evidence and predictors of mental distress of adults one month in the COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil

“…For instance, future research can explore individuals' work situations, employment sectors (e.g. public, private), self-employment, illegitimate work tasks, seniority at work, whether their workplace downsized, income level, the number of hours they work outside of the home, their health conditions, perceived COVID-19 test availability, belief in COVID as a conspiracy theory [ 20 , 27 , 28 ], in the context of Brazil and Latin American countries.…”

Predicting Managers’ Mental Health Across Countries Using Country-Level COVID-19 Statistics

“…Further, scholars have recently begun to focus on the mental health of specific groups, for example, students 6 and healthcare workers 2,3,7 . However, this research again studies non-country-level predictors and, critically, there is hardly any research focused on the specific group of managers 8 . This is problematic because managers perform one of the most stressful and consequential jobs 9,10 .…”

“…For one, during a pandemic, managers cannot manage as usual, and they may thus suffer particularly due to the decision-making and leadership responsibilities they must exercise during such a time of crisis 11 . For another, managers' mental health may also have important second-order effects on their subordinates' lives and therefore their subordinates' mental health 8 .…”