Effects of Child Caregivers’ Emotional Labor on Life Satisfaction: Focusing on the Sequential Dual Mediating Effects of Vocational Calling and Job Stress

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of emotional labor on life satisfaction among child caregivers, with a particular focus on the sequential dual mediating roles of vocational calling and job stress. Given the increasing societal demand for quality childcare services, understanding the psychological mechanisms that influence caregivers’ well-being has become increasingly important.Methods: Data were collected from 260 child caregivers employed in G city. Descriptive statistics and partial correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS 27.0. The PROCESS macro 3.3 was used to test the dual mediating effects of vocational calling and job stress, and the significance of indirect effects was verified through the bootstrapping method.Results: The findings revealed that emotional labor negatively influenced life satisfaction through two key mediators. First, vocational calling fully mediated the relationship between emotional labor and life satisfaction, suggesting that a strong sense of calling can buffer the negative effects of emotional demands. Second, job stress also fully mediated this relationship, indicating that increased stress undermines caregivers' overall satisfaction with life. Furthermore, a significant sequential dual mediating effect was found, wherein emotional labor influenced vocational calling, which in turn affected job stress, ultimately impacting life satisfaction.Conclusion: This study highlights the complex psychological processes linking emotional labor to caregivers’ life satisfaction. The results underscore the importance of fostering vocational calling and managing job stress through targeted interventions and support systems. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of caregiver training programs and continuing education initiatives designed to promote the well-being and professional sustainability of child caregivers.