This study examines the influence of work stress and social support on psychological well-being through the mediating role of emotional resilience among adult employees. Grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this research argues that psychological well-being is shaped not only by job-related demands but also by individuals’ internal capacity to adapt and recover from emotional strain. A quantitative approach was employed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 250 adult employees who had a minimum of six months of work experience. The results reveal that work stress does not have a significant direct effect on psychological well-being; however, it significantly weakens emotional resilience, which subsequently influences psychological well-being. In contrast, social support has a significant positive effect on both emotional resilience and psychological well-being. Furthermore, emotional resilience demonstrates a strong positive effect on psychological well-being and serves as a significant mediating variable in the relationships between work stress and psychological well-being as well as between social support and psychological well-being. These findings highlight emotional resilience as a key psychological mechanism that explains how work stress and social support jointly affect employees’ psychological well-being. The study contributes to the literature by extending COR theory in the context of workplace mental health and provides practical implications for organizations to strengthen social support systems and implement resilience-building programs to enhance employee well-being.
Derah Sudjaniah1, Sugiyono2, Jailani3, Rio Octogi Siregar4, Mia utami5 (Sun,) studied this question.