Psychological well-being

and maladjustment at work

Unit Two
Examples of dysfunction in individuals,
groups, organisations and society
• High incidents of alcoholism, substance abuse, unemployment and absenteeism
• Levels of aggression, violence and abuse in society, workplace, educational institutions
and public protests
• SA has high incidents of child abuse, family violence and crime
• Incidents of fraud, corruption and abuse of power (government and private sector)
• Reports of elderly and mentally ill people being mistreated

(Bergh, p. 368, 2021)

Importance of psychological
well-being
• Psychological problems exists in people’s personal and work lives
more frequently that acknowledged
• Employee wellbeing cannot be separated from their personal
psychological health
• Psychologists need to be informed and understand the causes
• Psychologists and HR professionals should be involved about the
promotion of psychological wellbeing of employees and the
corporate health of organisations
1. Dimensions of
wellness
1. Physical
2. Spiritual
3. Social
4. Emotional
5. Environmental
6. Intellectual
7. Occupational
8. Financial
 Physical wellbeing

• Developing personal responsibility to develop

your own health care and maintaining a healthy
quality of life (incl. body, nutrition and healthy
habits)
• Dimensions: muscular strength and endurance,
cardiovascular strength and flexibility
• How is your physical fitness? Are you eating a
balanced meal?
Emotional wellbeing

• Being attentive to thoughts, feelings and

behaviours (positive and negative)
• Awareness of and acceptance of feelings
• Focus: Feelings, emotions, reactions, cognition
• Provide examples of the types of emotions?
Which ones do you experience often?
 Intellectual wellbeing:

• Expanding knowledge and skills and discovering

explored paths

• Includes: mental growth, intellectual and cultural

activities, and life-long learning

• Creativity! Critical thinking! Stimulating mental activities

Spiritual wellbeing:

• Involves values and beliefs – provides

purpose in our lives
• Search for human existence (meaning) and
striving for harmony in oneself
Occupational wellbeing:

• Skills, finances, balances

• Ability to achieve a balance between
studies/work and leisure time
• Work: dealing with work stress and having
good relationships with colleagues
• Work attitude? Use of gifts/talents at
work/school? Reflecting on values/passions in
activities
Financial wellness

• Having financial resources to meet needs

• Sense of control and knowledge about
personal finances
Environmental wellbeing:

• Interaction with nature, personal environment

and protecting the world around you
• What can harm the environment? What can
be done about it?
Social wellbeing:

• Interaction with others.

• Involves: communication, respect, support
• Focus: contributing to others/community and
living in harmony with others
• How are your relationships?
2. Psychological wellbeing
according to positive
psychology
Positive psychology emphasises the strengths, traits and virtues
that people and organisations can develop in order to be healthy

1. Wellbeing: physical, intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual

and moral functioning
2. Subjective wellbeing: individual’s perception of the quality
of their life
3. Happiness: positive mental health
4. Flourishing: complete state of health
5. Salutogenesis: origins of health
6. Fortigenesis: sources of strength
3. Important concepts in
wellbeing and maladjustment
Psychological health: (also known as wellbeing) views optimal
health as a holistic condition (incl. physical and social aspects)

1. Psychological disorder: dysfunctions related to impairment in

one or more domains of human functioning
2. Psychological maladjustment: (also referred to as
psychological disorder), mental disorders, psychiatric disorders
and abnormal behaviour
3. Work dysfunction: area of deficiency in the development and
functioning of the work personality
Psychological disorders
a. Trauma and stressor-related disorders g. Personality disorders
b. Anxiety and fear-related disorders h. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder
c. Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders i. Substance-related and addictive disorders
d. Dissociative disorders j. Disruptive, impulsive-control and conduct
e. Somatic symptom disorder and related disorders
disorders h. Neurocognitive disorders
f. Bipolar and related disorders
 • Financial security
• Practice and expand knowledge
• Social needs
• Fulfil adulthood expectations
The meaning • Strengthens self-esteem
of work • Create structure and engagement in time and life
• Enhance wealth and status
• Sense of personal identity
5. Work dysfunctions
• Area of deficiency or defect on the development of
the work personality
• Disturbances in capacity to work:
• Work-related behaviour, emotions, thinking and
perceptions
• Employees’ work motivation, attitudes and
unwillingness to be involved in any work
Work dysfunctions

1. Patterns of undercommitment

2. Patterns of overcommitment

3. Work anxiety, fear and depression

4. Personality and behavioural dysfunctions at work

5. Dysfunctional work-life balance

6. Career-development problems
Work dysfunctions:
1. Patterns of
undercommitment
• Recognised by under-involvement in the job, in
comparison to what is expected.
• Underachievement
• Temporary production impediment and procrastination
• Misfits
• Fear of success and fear of failure
• Withdrawal behaviours (absenteeism and personnel
turnover) [“presenteeism”]
• Personnel turnover
Work dysfunctions:
2. Patterns of
overcommitment
Intense over-involvement and too strong identification with the
job

Workaholism: obsessive-compulsive need to work

Work addict

Type A personality and work performance

Psychological burnout
Work dysfunctions:
3. Work anxiety, fear and
depression
• Feelings of not being able to perform
• Characterised by: psychological symptoms;
worry; strong emotions that influences
physical, cognitive and interpersonal
performance
 Work • Personality disorders: narcissism, rigidity, paranoia,
avoidance, interpersonal difficulties, poor impulse
dysfunctions: control, OCD, antisocial behaviours, passiveness
and aggression.
4. Personality • Counterproductive employee behaviours (CWBs)
and work
dysfunctions
Work dysfunctions:
5. Work-and-non work conflict
• Inter-role conflicts
• Non-work roles: marriage, parenting, family,
religion have spillover effects at work
• Employees have difficulty in finding a
balance = work-life flexibility
Work dysfunctions:
6. Career development problems
• Inability to develop one’s career is regarded as
a career and development problem
• Related to the following issues:
• Career immaturity and vocational uncertainty
• Obsolescence and career plateauing
• Mid-life crisis
6. Health and illness from an African
perspective
• The interpretations of health and illness and causes
• Diagnosing diseases and illnesses
• Approaches to health and illnesses
7. Attributes of healthy organisations

• Employees and employers – low stress levels

• High commitment and job satisfaction levels
• Few accidents occur
• Low sickness, absenteeism and labour turnover rates
• Good employment relationships
• No fear of legal action (climate of trust)
• Profitable organisation and efficient in using resources
• Environmental awareness and no harmful practices
Responsibilities and roles
in health promotion

• Organisational systems, policies and values must be directed at creating a culture of

health and wellness
• Psychological health criteria to be included in standard HR standards (selection
procedures, coaching, skills training, career counselling)
• Job design and fit between employees and workplaces (to ensure optimal functioning
and positive emotions)
• Train medical and HR workers to manage employees with emotional problems
 Creating psychological
healthy workplaces (PHWs)

Progresses through three phases:

1. Focus is on occupational health and safety issues in the physical work environment
(disease, pollution, ergonomic design, air and substance pollution and preventing
accidents)
2. Health promotion follows the work environment approach (attending to medical
emergencies, assessing fitness and promoting healthy lifestyles)
3. Health promotion through inclusive psychosocial approach (psychological and social
needs, relationships and dynamics in workplaces)