A positive psychology perspective on self-efficacy and work engagement among psychiatric hospital staff in Japan: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Sustaining work engagement among psychiatric hospital staff is important for staff well-being and the quality and continuity of mental health care, yet modifiable personal resources in this setting remain understudied. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources model and positive psychology, we examined whether general self-efficacy was associated with work engagement in psychiatric hospital staff in Japan and whether this association differed across occupation, managerial position, and age. In a cross-sectional survey of 199 employees, work engagement was assessed using the Japanese Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-J-17) and self-efficacy using the Japanese General Self-Efficacy Scale (J-GSES). Linear regression models estimated the association between self-efficacy and engagement, adjusting for gender, age group, managerial position, employment status, and occupation; subgroup consistency was evaluated using stratified analyses and interaction terms. Higher self-efficacy was associated with higher work engagement (B = 0.93, 95% CI 0.42–1.44, p < 0.001). The association appeared similar across occupational categories, managerial levels, and age groups (all interaction p ≥ 0.43). In this single-site sample, general self-efficacy was positively associated with work engagement. Causal inference is not possible, and longitudinal and intervention studies are needed.