Affiliations: Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en
santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) Montréal, QC, Canada | Université de Montréal, Montréal,
QC, Canada | Centre for Action in Work Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation, School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
Note: [] Corresponding author: Alessia Negrini, Institut de recherche
Robert-Sauvé en santá et en sécurité du travail
(IRSST), 505, boul. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montréal (QC), H3A 3C2,
Canada. Tel.: +1 514 288 1551 #226; Fax: +1 514 514 288 6097; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Being absent from work because of a psychological
disability is costly for both individuals and organizations and frequent in
employees working in the field of education. Absenteeism from work has been
mostly studied as an organizational withdrawal behavior related to negative
factors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this longitudinal study is to define the
predictors of absenteeism due to psychological disability by taking into
account resources, such as Self-determined work motivation and Subjective
well-being, as well as symptoms of Psychological distress. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 261 employees from a Canadian
public school organization. METHODS: Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare the
mean scores of participants who were not absent from work and participants who
were absent due to psychological disability. Logistic regression analyses were
computed for the dependent variable to assess the contribution of the three
independent variables. RESULTS: Participants who were absent from work due to psychological
disability in the year following the data collection scored significantly lower
on resources, and higher on symptoms than those participants who were not
absent. The three-predictor model was found to be significant. However, only
Self-determined work motivation and Psychological distress significantly
predicted absenteeism due to psychological disability. CONCLUSIONS: Results are discussed in terms of psychological
processes regulating the relationships between the work-related factors (i.e.,
work motivation) and life-related factors (i.e., psychological distress and
subjective well-being) of personal adjustment and accomplishment.
Keywords: Self-determined work motivation, subjective well-being, psychological distress
