This two-wave study examined whether job burnout relates negatively to employees’ performance in executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibition capacity, cognitive flexibility, reasoning, problem solving, and planning – assessed through psychometric tests) and positively to everyday cognitive failures (rated by colleagues) over time. Furthermore, based on cognitive reserve and self-regulation theories, we hypothesized that poor cognitive functioning mediates the negative relationship between burnout and job performance (i.e., task and contextual performance), as rated by employees and their close colleagues. The study was conducted among 102 employees and their colleagues, who were followed up over a period of about a year. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed that burnout related to lower performance on working memory and inhibition capacity and to more cognitive failures over time, while reduced cognitive flexibility was associated to higher burnout over time. Moreover, results showed that poor working memory and cognitive failures mediated the negative relationship between burnout and task performance. These findings suggest that burnout prevents optimal utilization of cognitive resources limiting cognitive functioning and consequently, job performance.

In this study we examined whether emotion regulation and illness-focused coping strategies mediate and/ or moderate the relation of illness-related negative emotions to patients’ subjective health. One hundred and thirty-five cardiac patients participated in the study. Illness-focused coping strategies were found to mediate the relation of emotions to physical functioning, whereas emotion regulation strategies mediated the relation to psychological well-being. Moreover, an emotion regulation strategy (i.e. emotion suppression) and two illness-focused coping strategies (instrumental coping and adherence) moderated the two relationships. These findings suggest that both emotion regulation and illness-focused coping strategies are integral parts of the illness-related negative emotions—health relationship.

Several theoretical models have described the ways that patients and partners respond to a health problem. Most of these models are faced with limitations regarding the role of cognitive/emotional appraisals and coping behaviors, and the potential interactions between individual and dyadic variables. Therefore, new theoretical approaches are needed to capture the multiple processes that take place within dyadic adaptation to illness. Here, the major aspects of the dyadic adaptation/dyadic coping models are reviewed and their limitations are outlined. Moreover, a new theoretical approach to the dyadic-regulation processes that are important for adaptation to illness is proposed. The Dyadic-Regulation Connectivity Model emphasizes the concept of system connectivity and the role of central network hubs in dyadic regulation. Network hubs represent the common ‘space’ between intra- and inter-personal processes, and are closely connected to each other. The model posits that dyadic regulation processes evolve over time, all network hubs are fully responsive to changes in any part of the mechanism, while the entire mechanism is nested within the self- and the dyadic-system, the illness, and the broader socio-cultural contexts. The theoretical and research implications of the proposed model are also discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of illness acceptance on the subjective health of hospitalized chronic medical patients. Participants were 128 patients with a previous diagnosis of chronic coronary artery disease, cancer, or chronic renal disease, who were admitted to a public hospital. Illness acceptance was associated with higher levels of subjective health. It was negatively related to psychological symptoms and positively to self-rated health, even after controlling for demographic variables, type of disease, years since diagnosis, health-related quality of life and hospitalization stress. Furthermore, acceptance mediated the effects of hospitalization stress on subjective health measures.

Background: Caring for individuals with mental disorders poses significant challenges for caregivers, often leading to compromised quality of life and mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. This study aims to assess the extent of these challenges among caregivers in Greece, identifying which demographic factors influence their well-being. Method: A total of 157 caregivers were surveyed using the SF-12 Health Survey for quality-of-life assessment and the DASS-21 questionnaire for evaluating stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. t-tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and regression analyses were applied to understand the associations between demographics, quality of life, and mental health outcomes. Results: The study found that caregivers, especially women and younger individuals, faced high levels of mental health challenges. Marital status, educational level, and employment status also significantly influenced caregivers’ well-being. Depression was the most significant factor negatively correlating with the mental component of quality of life. The magnitude of the burden experienced by caregivers highlighted the urgency for targeted social and financial support, as well as strategic treatment programs that consider caregiver well-being. Conclusions: Caregivers of individuals with mental disorders endure significant stress, anxiety, and depression, influencing their quality of life. Demographic factors such as age, gender, marital status, education, and employment status have notable impacts. Findings emphasize the need for society-wide recognition of caregivers’ roles and the creation of comprehensive support and intervention programs to alleviate their burden, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.