[The effects of role stressors on anxiety, depression, and subjective well-being through primary appraisals]

Objective This study investigated the effects of role stressors on anxiety, depression, and subjective well-being (SWB), emphasizing primary appraisal.Methods A web-based survey was conducted with 2,000 full-time employees in November 2023. The sample included 1,093 males and 907 females aged 20-64 years (mean (M)＝43.28, standard deviation (SD)＝11.96). Survey items included attributes (sex, age, occupation, and position), role stressors, primary appraisal (irrelevant, positive, harm/loss, threat, and challenge), anxiety, depression, and SWB. We conducted a stepwise multiple regression analysis with primary appraisals as the dependent variable and role stressors and attributes as independent variables. Thereafter, we conducted a stepwise multiple regression analysis with anxiety, depression, and SWB as dependent variables and primary appraisals of role stressors and attributes as independent variables.Results Valid responses were obtained from 1,260 participants employed in sales and clerical work (valid response rate: 63.0%). The final sample included 548 males and 712 females aged 20-64 years (M＝44.75, SD＝11.61). Based on the results, positive, harm/loss, threat, and challenge appraisal positively influenced "role unclearly" and "role overload." Moreover, anxiety positively influenced "harm/loss" and "threat" appraisals but negatively influenced "challenge" appraisals. Furthermore, depression positively influenced "harm/loss" and "threat" appraisals but negatively influenced "challenge" appraisals. Conversely, SWB positively influenced "positive" and "challenge" appraisals but negatively influenced "harm/loss" appraisals in role unclearly and "harm/loss" and "threat" appraisals in role overload.Conclusion The anxiety, depression, and SWB of full-time employees in sales or clerical work were correlated with their primary appraisals of role stressors.