A Study of Emotional Labour, Dissociative Experiences, Depression and Anxiety Among Aviation Staff

By : Sakshi M. Sangekar, Neha Bhansali

Page No: 345-357

Abstract
Despite researchers considering emotional labour as an inevitable component of impression management used in organisations, it can be emotionally demanding and psychologically distressing for aviation staff. The present study utilises the distress model to examine the relationship between emotional labour, dissociative experiences, depression and anxiety among aviation staff. Through purposive sampling technique, the study administered Dutch-Emotional Labour Scale, Brief Dissociative Experiences Scale-Modified and DASS-21 to a total 76 participants aged between 20 to 40 years (M= 29.4); employed as cabin crew (n=45) and ground staff (n=31). Results showed a significant positive relationship between emotional labour and dissociative experiences, were significantly positively correlated with depression and anxiety. However, emotional labour was found to have no significant relationship with depression and anxiety. A strong mediating role of dissociative experiences was found, wherein effects of emotional labour on anxiety and depression is shown to be strongly mediated via dissociative experiences among the participants. This study highlights that urgency to help aviation staff improve their mental health and the requirement to re-examine their working conditions and job demands, while providing preventive mental health care and training can be beneficial.

Authors :
Sakshi M. Sangekar : Master’s in Clinical Psychology – Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, SNDT Women’s University, Maharashtra, India.
Neha Bhansali : Assistant Professor – Postgraduate Department of Psychology, Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, SNDT Women’s University, Maharashtra, India
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPR.2023.18.02.17