그룹홈 종사자가 인식한 아동의 내/외현화 문제가 종사자의 정신건강에 미치는 영향

Effects of the Problems of Internal/Externalization of Children Perceived by Group Home Workers on the Mental Health of Group Home Workers : Focused on Mediating Effects of Emotional Labor

This study was designed to investigate the mediating effects of emotional labor of group home workers in the relationship between their mental health and internal-/externalizing problems of group home children. 161 group home workers in Busan and nearby provinces were administered scales such as the adult mental health checklist(anxiety, depression, aggression), and ELS and 401 children under their care were assessed for CBCL 6-18. The results were as follows. Firstly, correlational analyses showed internalizing problems of children had significant correlations with the aggression and mental health(overall) of workers, and internal-/externalizing problems of children as well as all the subscales of emotional labor had significant correlations with the depression, aggression, and mental health(overall) of workers. Secondly, the regression analysis showed that internalizing(but not externalizing) problems of children had significant effects on workers’ anxiety and mental health(overall). Thirdly, mediation effects of emotional labor were found in the relationships between externalizing as well as internal-/externalizing(overall) (except for internalizing alone) problems of children and mental health of the workers. The implications of the study and some suggestions for further research were discussed.