Psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception as predictors of psychological wellbeing in military personnel / Capital psicológico, satisfacción laboral y salud percibida como predictores del bienestar psicológico en el personal militar

Background: Worker wellbeing is known to positively impact both the employer organization and the employee. However, the hardship inherent to military life may hinder the achievement of satisfactory levels of worker wellbeing. In this study we aim to address whether psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception are able to predict psychological wellbeing in a military population. Method: A descriptive, correlational study was performed using a cohort of 492 Spanish soldiers by applying multiple linear regression. The resulting regression array between the variables psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception was used to predict psychological wellbeing. Results: A positive, significative correlation was detected between the variables psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception and psychological wellbeing, altogether explaining up to 53% of the variance of the latter. The most important predictor was psychological capital, responsible for 80% of the predictive power. Conclusions: Due to the significant predictive power of psychological capital over individuals’ wellbeing, the development of programs aimed at enhancing psychological capital may have a positive outcome on military personnel’s psychological wellbeing

Antecedentes: uno de los objetivos de las organizaciones es el bienestar de su personal por los beneficios que conlleva para sí mismas y para sus trabajadores. Sin embargo, las condiciones propias de la vida castrense pueden dificultar esta meta. Este estudio pretende conocer si el capital psicológico, la satisfacción laboral y la percepción de salud pueden predecir el bienestar psicológico del personal militar. Método: se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo correlacional en una muestra de 492 militares españoles. Se aplicó una regresión lineal múltiple, utilizándose las variables capital psicológico, satisfacción laboral y autopercepción de la salud para predecir el bienestar psicológico. Resultados: se constata una relación positiva y significativa entre bienestar psicológico, capital psicológico, satisfacción laboral y salud general percibida, teniendo estas tres últimas un poder predictivo del cambio sobre el bienestar del 53%, el 80% del cual corresponde al capital psicológico. Conclusiones: debido al importante poder predictivo del capital psicológico en el bienestar de las personas, el desarrollo de programas dirigidos a mejorar el capital psicológico puede tener un resultado positivo en el bienestar psicológico del personal militar

Psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception as predictors of psychological wellbeing in military personnel.

BACKGROUND: Worker wellbeing is known to positively impact both the employer organization and the employee. However, the hardship inherent to military life may hinder the achievement of satisfactory levels of worker wellbeing. In this study we aim to address whether psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception are able to predict psychological wellbeing in a military population. METHOD: A descriptive, correlational study was performed using a cohort of 492 Spanish soldiers by applying multiple linear regression. The resulting regression array between the variables psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception was used to predict psychological wellbeing. RESULTS: A positive, significative correlation was detected between the variables psychological capital, work satisfaction and health self-perception and psychological wellbeing, altogether explaining up to 53% of the variance of the latter. The most important predictor was psychological capital, responsible for 80% of the predictive power. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the significant predictive power of psychological capital over individuals’ wellbeing, the development of programs aimed at enhancing psychological capital may have a positive outcome on military personnel’s psychological wellbeing.