Psychological detachment from work during off-job time: The role of job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy

Previous research has suggested that psychological detachment from work during off-job time is important in order to recover from stress encountered at the job. Psychological detachment refers to an individual's experience of being mentally away from work, to make a pause in thinking about work-related issues, thus to “switch off”. This study examines job stressors, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy as predictors of psychological detachment in a sample of 148 school teachers. Psychological detachment was assessed by self-reports and by ratings provided by family members. Multiple regression analysis showed that workload, job involvement, and recovery-related self-efficacy were significant predictors of both self-rated and family-rated psychological detachment. The study findings suggest that with respect to practical implications it is crucial to manage workload and to increase recovery-related self-efficacy.