The Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy and Coping Strategy in Relation to Job Stress and Psychological Well-Being of Home-Visiting Care Workers for Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating effect of self-efficacy and coping strategy in the relationship between job stress and the psychological well-being of care workers. The subjects were 112 home-visiting care workers, and data were collected at four home-visiting nursing centers in a metropolitan city and a small and medium-sized city from July to August 2022. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation co-efficient, multiple linear regression, and Sobel test. The mean score of psychological well-being was 3.33 ± 0.46 out of a possible 5. The subject’s psychological well-being was correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), problem-solving-focused coping (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), social-support-seeking coping (r = 0.34, p < 0.001), job stress (r = −0.31, p = 0.001), avoidance-focused coping (r = −0.37, p < 0.001). Self-efficacy (Z = −4.92, p < 0.001), problem-solving-focused coping (Z = −2.56, p = 0.010), and avoidance-focused coping (Z = −3.07, p = 0.002) had a mediating effect in the relationship between job stress and psychological well-being of the subjects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on these results, the psychological well-being nursing intervention program for home-visiting care workers need to include job stress, problem-solving-focused coping, and avoidance-focused coping.