BACKGROUND: Since 2008, a deep financial crisis, which started in the United
States, has widely spread around the world. Scientists expressed their worry about this
crisis by pointing out that potential negative health effects can be created by collective
fear and panic.
OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this cross-sectional study on the fear of the
crisis has been to examine its impact on mental health through the use of structural
equation modeling. In the trial a new model of economic stress we were also interested in
identifying if fear of the crisis has an indirect relationship with employees' health
(e.g. related to a poor social support or to work-related stress). Furthermore, this study
aimed to examine whether a full or a partial mediation model best fits the data.
METHODS: Data collection took place between 2010 and 2011. During this period
several private organizations that comprised of 1236 employees participated in the study.
RESULTS: It was found that social support and job stress fully mediated the
relationship between fear of the crisis and health, with all fit indices meeting their
respective criteria, and with all path coefficients being significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Implications for discussion of the crisis among employees were
presented. In conclusion, fear of the crisis appeared to be an important innovative
construct for organizational wellbeing.
