Classification of somatization symptoms based on latent profile analysis: The differential mediating role of psychological capital in organizational commitment

Somatization symptoms are prevalent among the workplace population, yet how they affect organizational commitment remains unclear, and perspectives vary on whether the mediating role of positive psychological capital is stable. Therefore, this study surveyed 1027 employees to explore the relationships among somatization symptoms, positive psychological capital, and organizational commitment, with a focus on analyzing differences in these effects across varying levels of symptom severity. Results showed that for the overall sample, somatization symptoms had a significant direct effect on organizational commitment, and the mediating effect of positive psychological capital was also significant. Latent profile analysis categorized symptoms into four groups: mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe. The results indicated that in the moderate symptom group, positive psychological capital played a full mediating role; in the extremely severe group, both the direct effect and the mediating effect were significant; and in the mild and severe groups, the effects were non-significant.This indicates that the impact of somatization symptoms on organizational commitment exhibits symptom severity dependency, supporting theories such as Conservation of Resources Theory and the Yerkes-Dodson Law; these findings also provide a basis for workplace psychological interventions tailored to different symptom groups.