Psychological Well‐Being in a Sample of Male and Female Office Workers

This questionnaire study used a model of mental health proposed by Warr (1987, 1993) to examine how 8 aspects of the work situation (principal environmental influences, PEIs) were associated with psychological well‐being, measured on several dimensions. It is hypothesized that the importance of different PEIs for well‐being will be influenced by gender, particularly the relationship between control and work‐related mental health. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated similarities and differences in the association of PEIs with well‐being in males and females. In the male sample, control at work was significantly associated with all dimensions of work‐related mental health; but in the female sample, it was not associated with any dimension of mental health. The influence of gender is discussed.