O-342 Investigating the Reciprocal Effects; The Relationship Between Emotional Exhaustion and Depression With the Role of Psychosocial Safety Climate

Background In this four-wave longitudinal study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms and their connection to the psychosocial safety climate (PSC). Previous studies have shown that PSC plays a crucial role in the psychological well-being of workers, as an extension of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. However, this study specifically focused on the moderating role of PSC and the reciprocal effects of emotional exhaustion and depressive symptoms over time. Methods This study used the Australian Workplace Barometer data, monitoring workplace psychosocial factors using population-based random sampling since 2009. The Australian sample comprised 415 workers aged 18-65 from various industries, with complete data across four waves spanning 11 years. Participants received an introductory letter and were contacted via a CATI system and interviewed. Data was weighted for age and gender factors and analyzed using SPSS-28 and Mplus-8. Results According to our research, there is a clear connection between self-reported emotional exhaustion and future depressive symptoms. We also found that PSC is negatively related to both of these factors over time. Additionally, we observed that emotional exhaustion has a stronger reciprocal effect on depressive symptoms, and we anticipate that PSC will further weaken this relationship over time. Conclusions Preventing depressive symptoms can be achieved by addressing risk factors such as emotional exhaustion at work and emphasizing the critical role of the corporate climate, specifically PSC. Workplaces should prioritize improving PSC to reduce the negative impact of emotional exhaustion and break the cycle of adverse effects.