The mediator role of psychological flexibility between job satisfaction and psychological well-being among school counselors

This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological well-being, job satisfaction, work related psychological flexibility levels of school counselors with demographic variables and to test the mediating role of psychological flexibility in work place in relationship between job satisfaction and psychological well-being in structural equation modeling (SEM). The sample of the study using the correlational survey research method consisted of a total of 405 school counselors (291 women, 114 men) working in different regions in Turkey. In this study, Personal Information Form, Psychological Well-Being Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, Work-Related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire were used as the data collection tools. The data obtained for the study were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24 programs. Relationships between variables were analyzed using Pearson Correlation analysis. Independent Samples T-Test and ANOVA (One-way Analysis of Variance) were used to investigate the relationship between psychological well-being in relation to demographic characteristics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis were conducted to find out the mediating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between job satisfaction and psychological well-being. The results of the research revealed that, while psychological well being of school counselors significantly differ in terms of age and marital status, but it did not significantly differ in terms of gender and sector type. When the bivariate relationships of the variables were examined, it was found that psychological well-being had a positive, medium-level, significant association with the job satisfaction and psychological flexibility. Besides it was found that job satisfaction was positively and significantly associated with psychological flexibility. The results of the preliminary regressional analysis before running the SEM model, showed that job satisfaction positively and significantly predicted both psychological well being and psychological flexibility, and psychological well being was positively and significantly predicted by psychological flexibility. Finally, it was found that psychological well being had a partial mediator role in the relationship between job satisfaction and psychological well-being. The findings were explained and discussed in the light of the research in the literature. Further implications and recommendations were presented for future studies and practitioners.