Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Hospitality Employees’ Mental Health Issues: A Review

Hazrina Ghazali, Siti Fatimah Mohamad, Mohd Amar bin Ridham Othman, Maisarah Ishak

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i7/21850

Open access

Mental health issues have become a serious concern in many organizations, where this problem might lead to negative outcomes for both employees and employers. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, untreated mental health problems got worse, which had the worst effect on a person's life and work that could happen. One of the key environments that affect employees' mental health is the workplace. People are becoming more aware of and cognizant of the role that work can play in promoting or impeding mental wellness. The majority of mental health professionals concur that the workplace environment can have a considerable impact on a person's mental and physical well-being, despite the fact that it is difficult to measure the effect of work alone on a person's sense of self, self-esteem, and social recognition. (World Health Organization, Department of Mental Health) The National Health and Morbidity Survey, which was conducted every four years, was the most exhaustive survey ever conducted on a national scale. The main objective of this research is to explore the awareness and factors that influence mental health issues among hospitality employees. Findings from this review may help future researchers develop a mental health framework that can be used as a reference by managers and policymakers at the workplace among hospitality employees.

Allen, D. G., Bryant, P. C., & Vardaman, J. M. (2010). ‘Retaining Talent: Replacing Misconceptions with Evidence-Based Strategies’. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(2), 48–64.
Amran, F. W., Ghazali, H., & Mohamad, S. F. (2018). Perceived Level of Stress Among Casual Dining Restaurant Employees in Klang Valley, Malaysia. International Journal of Modern Trends in Social Sciences, 1(2), 09-14.
Bains, S., and Chitrao, P. V. (2020). Stress as a Factor of Employee Absenteeism at Workplace in IT Sector, India. International Journal of Modern Agriculture, 9(3), 1531 - 1548.
Baptiste, N. R. (2008). Tightening the link between employee wellbeing at work and performance: A new dimension for HRM. Management decision.
Basar, P. (2018). Social Entrepreneurship: Case Study in Unilever Food Solutions' Trusted Hands Food Safety Online Training Program. Chapters.
Birdir, K., Tepeci, M., & Saldamli, A. (2003). Job Stress in Hospitality and Tourism Organizations: Sources, Consequences and Management.
Bloisi, W., & Hoel, H. (2008). Abusive work practices and bullying among chefs: A review of the literature. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(4), 649-656.
Breslin, G., Shannon, S., Haughey, T., Donnelly, P., & Leavey, G. (2017). A systematic review of interventions to increase awareness of mental health and well-being in athletes, coaches and officials. Systematic reviews, 6(1), 1-15.
Brown, E. A., Thomas, N. J., & Bosselman, R. H. (2015). Are they leaving or staying: A qualitative analysis of turnover issues for Generation Y hospitality employees with a hospitality education. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 46, 130-137.
Bufquin, D., Park, J. Y., Back, R. M., de Souza Meira, J. V., & Hight, S. K. (2021). Employee work status, mental health, substance use, and career turnover intentions: An examination of restaurant employees during COVID-19. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102764.
Burton, J., & World Health Organization. (2010). WHO healthy workplace framework and model: Background and supporting literature and practices. World Health Organization.
Canboy, B., Tillou, C., Barzantny, C., Güçlü, B., & Benichoux, F. (2021). The impact of perceived organizational support on work meaningfulness, engagement, and perceived stress in France. European Management Journal.
Carta, M. G., Di Fiandra, T., Rampazzo, L., Contu, P., & Preti, A. (2015). An overview of international literature on school interventions to promote mental health and well-being in children and adolescents. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health: CP & EMH, 11(Suppl 1 M1), 16.
Chang, W., & Busser, J. A. (2020). Hospitality career retention: the role of contextual factors and thriving at work. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(1), 193-211.
Chang, W., Busser, J. A. (2020). Hospitality career retention: the role of contextual factors and thriving at work. Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manage. 32 (1), 193–211.
Choi, K. (2006). A structural relationship analysis of hotel employees' turnover intention. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 11(4), 321-337.
Chong, Y. S., and Ahmed, P. K. (2017). On happiness, sadness, or indifference: Investigating the carryover effect of outcome valence in service perceptions. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 27(1), 69–86.
Chu, K. H., Baker, M. A., & Murrmann, S. K. (2012). When we are onstage, we smile: The effects of emotional labor on employee work outcomes. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 906-915.
Chuang, N. K., Yin, D., & Dellmann?Jenkins, M. (2009). Intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting casino hotel chefs' job satisfaction. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the US In S. Spacapam & S. Oskamp (Eds.), The social psychology of health: Claremont symposium on applied social psychology (pp. 31-67).
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385–396.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. Sage Publication. Curr. Cardiol. Rep. 17 (9), 630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-015-0630-8.
Deery, M., Jago, L., 2015. Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and retention strategies. Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manage. 27 (3), 453–472.
DeLuca, J. S., Tang, J., Zoubaa, S., Dial, B., & Yanos, P. T. (2021). Reducing stigma in high school students: A cluster randomized controlled trial of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Ending the Silence intervention. Stigma and Health, 6(2), 228.
Doorley, S., & Witthoft, S. (2012). Make space: How to set the stage for creative collaboration. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Engkvist, I. L. (2010). Working conditions at recycling centres in Sweden–Physical and psychosocial work environment. Applied Ergonomics, 41(3), 347-354.
European Commission. (2017). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Safer and Healthier Work for All - Modernisation of the EU Occupational Safety and Health Legislation and Policy. COM (2017) 12 final.
Ghazali, H. (2010). Employee Intention to Leave a Job: A case of Malaysian Fast Food Industry. Research Commons at the University of Waikato, 19-23. Retrieved on January 25, 2020 from http://waikato.researchgateway.ac.nz/
Gilbert-Ouimet, M., Trudel, X., Brisson, C., Milot, A., Vézina, M. (2014). Adverse effects of psychosocial work factors on blood pressure: systematic review of studies on demand control support and effort-reward imbalance models. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health40 (2), 109–132. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3390.
Giousmpasoglou, C., Brown, L., & Cooper, J. (2018). Alcohol and other drug use in Michelin-starred kitchen brigades. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 70, 59-65.
Gordon, S., Tang, C. H. H., Day, J., & Adler, H. (2018). Supervisor support and turnover in hotels: does subjective well-being mediate the relationship?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Gordon, S., Tang, C.-H., Day, J., Adler, H. (2019). Supervisor support and turnover in hotels: does subjective well-being mediate the relationship? Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manage. 31 (1), 496–512.
Gursoy, D., Boylu, Y., & Avci, U. (2011). Identifying the complex relationships among emotional labor and its correlates. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(4), 783-794.
Halbinger, M. A. (2018). The role of makerspaces in supporting consumer innovation and diffusion: An empirical analysis. Research Policy, 47(10), 2028–2036. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.07.008
Haldorai, K., Kim, W. G., Pillai, S. G., Park, T. E., & Balasubramanian, K. (2019). Factors affecting hotel employees’ attrition and turnover: Application of pull-push-mooring framework. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 83, 46-55.
Haldorai, K., Kim, W.G., Pillai, S. G., Park, T., Balasubramaninan, K. (2019). Factors affecting hotel employees’ attrition and turnover: application of pull-push-mooring framework. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 83, 46–55.
Hancer, M., & George, R. T. (2003). Job satisfaction of restaurant employees: An empirical investigation using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 27(1), 85-100.
Harvey, S. B., Modini, M., Joyce, S., Milligan-Saville, J. S., Tan, L., Mykletun, A., ... Mitchell, P.B., 2017. Can workmake you mentally ill? A systematicmeta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occup. Environ. Med.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2016-104015.
Harvey, S. B., Modini, M., Joyce, S., Milligan-Saville, J. S., Tan, L., Mykletun, A., Bryant, R. A., Christensen, H., Mitchell, P. B. (2017). Can work make you mentally ill? A systematic meta-review of work-related risk factors for common mental health problems. Occup. Environ. Med. 74 (4), 301310. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed- 2016-104015.
Hight, S. K., & Park, J. Y. (2018). Substance use for restaurant servers: Causes and effects. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 68, 68-79.
Hsieh, Y., Apostolopoulos, Y., Hatzudis, K., & Sönmez, S. (2015). Social, Occupational,and Spatial Exposures and Mental Health Disparities of Working-Class Hispanics in the U.S.Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.
Hsieh, Y. C., & Eggers, P. D. (2011), Coping strategies used by lodging managers to balance work and personal lives: an exploratory study, International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 11(1), 39-58.
Joyce, S., Modini, M., Christensen, H., Mykletun, A., Bryant, R., Mitchell, P.B., Harvey, S.B., 2016.Workplace interventions for common mental disorders: A systematic meta-review. Psychol. Med. 46:683–697. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715002408.
Jung, H. S., & Yoon, H. H. (2014). Antecedents and consequences of employees’ job stress in a foodservice industry: Focused on emotional labor and turnover intent. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 38, 84-88.
Jung, H. S., Yoon, H. H., & Kim, Y. J. (2012). Effects of culinary employees’ role stress on burnout and turnover intention in hotel industry: moderating effects on employees’ tenure. The Service Industries Journal, 32(13), 2145-2165.
Karatepe, O. M., & Aleshinloye, K. D. (2009). Emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion among hotel employees in Nigeria. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(3), 349-358.
Karatepe, O. M., & Kilic, H. (2007). Relationships of supervisor support and conflicts in the work–family interface with the selected job outcomes of frontline employees. Tourism management, 28(1), 238-252
Kim, H. J., Shin, K. H., & Swanger, N. (2009). Burnout and engagement: A comparative analysis using the Big Five personality dimensions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(1), 96-104.
Kim, H. J., Shin, K. H., & Umbreit, W. T. (2007). Hotel job burnout: The role of personality characteristics. International journal of hospitality management, 26(2), 421-434.
Kim, J., & Garman, E. T. (2004). Financial stress, pay satisfaction and workplace performance. Compensation & Benefits Review, 36(1), 69-76.
Kitterlin, M., Moll, L., & Moreno, G. (2015). Foodservice employee substance abuse: is anyone getting the message?. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Kivimäki, M., Kawachi, I. (2015). Work stress as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
LaMontagne, A. D., Keegel, T., Louie, A. M., Ostry, A. (2010). Job stress as a preventable upstream determinant of common mental disorders: a review for practitioners and policy-makers. Adv. Ment. Health 9, 17–35.
LaMontagne, A. D., Keegel, T., Louie, A. M., Ostry, A., Landsbergis, P. A. (2007a). A systematic review of the job-stress intervention evaluation literature, 1990–2005. Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health 13 (3), 268–280.
LaMontagne, A. D., Keegel, T., Vallance, D. (2007b). Protecting and promoting mental health in the workplace: developing a systems approach to job stress. Health Promot. J. Austr. 18, 221–228.
Landsbergis, P. A., Dobson, M., Koutsouras, G., Schnall, P. (2013). Job strain and ambulatory blood pressure: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Am. J. Public Health 103 (3), 61–71. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301153.
Ledgerwood, C. E., Crotts, J. C., & Everett, A. M. (1998). Antecedents of employee burnout in the hotel industry. Progress in tourism and hospitality research, 4(1), 31-44.
Lee, H. K., Abdul Halim, H., Thong, K. L., & Chai, L. C. (2017). Assessment of food safety knowledge, attitude, self-reported practices, and microbiological hand hygiene of food handlers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(1), 55.
Lee, J. S., Back, K. J., & Chan, E. S. (2015). Quality of work life and job satisfaction among frontline hotel employees: A self-determination and need satisfaction theory approach. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Lippert, J. F., Furnari, M. B., & Kriebel, C. W. (2021). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on occupational stress in restaurant work: A qualitative study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(19), 10378.
Memish, K., Martin, A., Bartlett, L., Dawkins, S., & Sanderson, K. (2017). Workplace mental health: An international review of guidelines. Preventive Medicine, 101, 213-222.
Memish, K., Martin, A., Bartlett, L., Dawkins, S., & Sanderson, K. (2017). Workplace mental health: An international review of guidelines. Preventive Medicine, 101, 213-222.
Modini, M., Joyce, S., Mykletun, A., Christensen, H., Bryant, R. A., Mitchell, P. B., Harvey, S. B. (2016). The mental health benefits of employment: results of a systematic meta-review.
Mowday, R. T., Porter, L. W., Steers, R. M. (1982). Organizational Linkages: The psychology of commitment, absenteeism and turnover. Academic Press, San
Murray-Gibbons, R., & Gibbons, C. (2007). Occupational stress in the chef profession. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19(1), 32-42.
Murray?Gibbons, R., & Gibbons, C. (2007). Occupational stress in the chef profession. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Nasyira, M. N., Othman, M., & Ghazali, H. (2014). Predictors of Intention to Stay for Employees of Casual Dining Restaurant in Klang Valley Area. International Food Research Journal, 21(3), 863-871.
National Health and Morbidity Survey. (2019). National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ministry of Health Malaysia
National Restaurant Association. (2020). The Restaurant Industry Impact Survey. April 20. https://restaurant.org/manage-my-restaurant/business-operations/covid19/rese arch/industry-research.
O’neill, J. W., & Davis, K. (2011). Work stress and well-being in the hotel industry. International journal of hospitality management, 30(2), 385-390.
Pham, T. A. N., Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2021). Does well-being differ across customer value cocreation practice styles? An empirical study in a chronic health context. European Journal of Marketing.
Pienaar, J., & Willemse, S. A. (2008). Burnout, engagement, coping and general health of service employees in the hospitality industry. Tourism Management, 29(6), 1053-1063.
Qiu, H., Haobin Ye, B., Hung, K., & York, Q. Y. (2015). Exploring antecedents of employee turnover intention–Evidence of China’s hotel industry. Journal of China Tourism Research, 11(1), 53-66.
Murray-Gibbons, R., Gibbons, C. (2007),"Occupational stress in the chef profession", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19 Iss 1 pp. 32 – 42
Richard, F., Ghiselli, J. M. (2001). Job satisfaction, life satisfaction and turnover intent among food-service managers. The Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, volume 42, issue 2, page 28-37.
Robinson, R. N., & Beesley, L. G. (2010). Linkages between creativity and intention to quit: An occupational study of chefs. Tourism Management, 31(6), 765-776.
Rosemberg, M. A. S., Adams, M., Polick, C., Li, W. V., Dang, J., & Tsai, J. H. C. (2021). COVID-19 and mental health of food retail, food service, and hospitality workers. Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene, 18(4-5), 169-179.
Shani, A., Uriely, N., Reichel, A., & Ginsburg, L. (2014). Emotional labor in the hospitality industry: The influence of contextual factors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 37, 150-158.
Shields, M., & Wooden, M. (2003). Marriage, children and subjective well-being.
Shim, M. (2010). Factors influencing child welfare employee’s turnover: Focusing on organizational culture and climate. Children and Youth Services Review, 32: 847-856.
Shumway, C. R., Fraumeni, B. M., Fulginiti, L. E., Samuels, J. D., & Stefanou, S. E. (2016). US Agricultural Productivity: A review of USDA economic research service methods. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 38(1), 1-29.
Silva, C. T., Hakim, M. P., Zanetta, L. D. A., Pinheiro, G. S. D. D., Gemma, S. F. B., & da Cunha, D. T. (2021). Burnout and food safety: Understanding the role of job satisfaction and menu complexity in foodservice. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, 102705.
Sindhu, M., Phadnis, S., Chouhan, Z., Saraswat, P., & Maheshwari, S. (2021). Awareness and attitudes towards common mental health problems of community members in Udupi Taluk,
Sirgy, M. J., & Lee, D. J. (2016). Work-life balance: A quality-of-life model. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 11(4), 1059-1082.
Sivris, K. C., & Leka, S. (2015). Examples of holistic good practices in promoting and protecting mental health in the workplace: current and future challenges. Safety and health at work, 6(4), 295-304.
Sledge, W. H., Lazar, S. G. (2014). Workplace effectiveness and psychotherapy for mental, substance abuse, and subsyndromal conditions. Psychodyn. Psychiatry 42, 497–556.
Sohail, M., and Abdul Rehman, C. (2015). Stress and Health at the Workplace-A Review of the Literature. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 6 (3), 94-121.
Theorell, T., Hammarström, A., Aronsson, G., Träskman Bendz, L., Grape, T., Hogstedt, C., Marteinsdottir, I., Skoog, I., Hall, C., 2015. A systematic review including metaanalysis of work environment and depressive symptoms. BMC Public Health 15, 738. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1954-4.
Theorell, T., Jood, K., Järvholm, L. S., Vingård, E., Perk, J., Östergren, P. O., Hall, C. (2016). A systematic review of studies in the contributions of the work environment to ischaemic heart disease development. Eur. J. Pub. Health 26 (3), 470–477.
Tjahjaningsih, E., Widyasari, S., Maskur, A. and Kusuma, L. (2020). The Effect of Customer Experience and Service Quality on Satisfaction in Increasing Loyalty. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, v. 169, 395-399
Toohey, M. J., Muralidharan, A., Medoff, D., Lucksted, A., & Dixon, L. (2016). Caregiver positive and negative appraisals: effects of the national alliance on mental illness family-to-family intervention. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 204(2), 156.
Wang, X., Guchait, P., Pasamehmetoglu, A. (2020). Why should errors be tolerated? Perceived organizational support, organization-based self-esteem and psychological well-being. Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manage. 32 (5), 1987–2006.
Wedegaertner, F., Arnhold-Kerri, S., Sittaro, N. A., Bleich, S., Geyer, S., & Lee, W. E. (2013). Depression-and anxiety-related sick leave and the risk of permanent disability and mortality in the working population in Germany: a cohort study. BMC public health, 13(1), 1-10.
Willner, P., Rose, J., Stenfert Kroese, B., Murphy, G. H., Langdon, P. E., Clifford, C., ... & Cooper, V. (2020). Effect of the COVID?19 pandemic on the mental health of carers of people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 33(6), 1523-1533.
World Health Organization. (2004). Promoting Mental Health: Concepts, Emerging Evidence, Practice. https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/en/promotin g_mhh.pdf.
World Health Organization. (2019). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International classification of diseases. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-20 19-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases.
Wu, Y., Lu, C., Yan, J., Chu, X., Wu, M., & Yang, Z. (2021). Rounded or angular? How the physical work environment in makerspaces influences makers’ creativity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 73, 101546.
Yu, J., Park, J., & Hyun, S. S. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees’ work stress, well-being, mental health, organizational citizenship behavior, and employee-customer identification. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 30(5), 529-548.
Yu, J., Park, J., & Hyun, S. S. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees’ work stress, well-being, mental health, organizational citizenship behavior, and employee-customer identification. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 30(5), 529-548.
Zainol, N., Abdul, R. A. R., Nordin, N., Tazijan, F. N and Abdul Rashid, P. D. (2015). Employees dissatisfaction and turnover crises: A study of hotel industry, Malaysia. Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior e-Journal.
Zainol, N., Rozali, A., Rahman, A., Shakir, N., Rohimi, S., & Nordin, N. (2015). Identifying Factors Affecting Employees Mobility in Restaurants Industry: Focus on Staff Gender. Nakia, Identifying Factors Affecting Employees Mobility in Restaurants Industry: Focus on Staff Gender (August 11, 2015)
Zerden, L. D. S., Richman, E. L., Lombardi, B., & Forte, A. B. (2022). Frontline, essential, and invisible: The needs of low-wage workers in hospital settings during COVID-19. Workplace Health & Safety, 70(11), 509-514.
Zhang, T. C., Torres, E., & Jahromi, M. F. (2020). Well on the way: An exploratory study on occupational health in hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 87, 102382.
Zhang, T. C., Torres, E., Jahromi, M. F. (2020). Well on the way: an exploratory study on occupational health in hospitality. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 87, 1–10.
Zhao, X., & Ghiselli, R. (2016). Why do you feel stressed in a “smile factory”? Hospitality job characteristics influence work–family conflict and job stress. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(2), 305-326.
Zopiatis, A., & Orphanides, N. (2009). Investigating occupational burnout of food and beverage employees: The case of Cyprus. British Food Journal.

(Ghazali et al., 2024)
Ghazali, H., Mohamad, S. F., Othman, M. A. R. bin, & Ishak, M. (2024). Hospitality Employees’ Mental Health Issues: A Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(7), 239–255.