Work-Family Conflict as a Predictor of Mental Health Among Low-Income Earners in Malaysian Public Sector

Abstract

Low-income earners have always been identified as a group that encounter mental health issue due to interpersonal conflicts. As indicated by numerous studies across disciplines, work-family conflict is found to be one of the important predictors of mental health. However, studies on work-family conflict as predictor of mental health among low-income earners specifically in the Malaysia context remains scarce. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the influence of work-to-family conflict dimensions (i.e., behavior-based conflict time-based conflict and strain-based conflict) on mental health dimensions (i.e., stress, anxiety and depression) among low-income earners working at public sectors. Quantitative and cross-sectional research design were utilized in this study. By using a convenience sampling technique, 265 respondents from eight Johor Local Authorities participated via online survey using Google Form. Data were gathered using demographic and socioeconomic status questionnaires, Work-family Conflict Scale (WFCS) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data preparation was conducted using SPSS Version 26.0 while inferential was performed through SmartPLS Version 3.0 structural equation modeling. This study found that strain-based conflict established significant positive influence on stress, anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, behavior-based conflict was found to significantly predict anxiety and depression only. The findings from this study provide insight to the organization, especially public sector to re-design work in order to enhance mental health well-being among the low-income earners.