Search
Health Professionals´ Job Satisfaction and Mental Health Indicators Research Group
Keywords: job satisfaction, mental health, emotional well-being, burnout, work-related stress, compassion fatigue.
Overview of Main Activities:
Job satisfaction is most often defined as a positive emotional state resulting from the realisation of a worker’s expectations and needs in the work environment, and is directly related to job performance; job satisfaction among health professionals has a direct impact on the quality of services, patient satisfaction and also patient safety. Reduced job satisfaction can lead to burnout and mental health problems (anxiety, depression). Compassion fatigue, a manifestation of traumatic stress, characterised by physical and emotional exhaustion, increased anxiety, anger, irritability, intimacy problems and irrational fears, is a contributory factor to burnout among healthcare workers. In Estonia, there is a shortage of healthcare workers and an increased movement of workers between employers or out of the profession altogether. Reduced job satisfaction may be one of the causes of this problem.
Research Group Members
ANNA-LIISA TAMM,
PhD (physical education), Research Group Leader
MAIVE MÕTTUS,
MSc (public health), doctoral student
EVA MENGEL,
PhD (sport sciences)
ENE INDERMITTE,
PhD (environmental health), University of Tartu
ÜLLE PARM,
PhD (microbiology)
Ongoing Research and Projects
- 2021–2027.1.01.24-0611 “Job Satisfaction and Mental Health of Physiotherapists” (01.09.2024−31.08.2028). Principal Investigator: M. Mõttus. Coordinator: Tartu Applied Health Sciences University. Funder: European Regional Development Fund. Allocated Amount: EUR 124,703. The aim of the project is to develop the physiotherapy curriculum at Tartu Health Care College. Through applied research conducted within the project, it is possible to implement changes in the curriculum, as factors influencing physiotherapists’ job satisfaction, mental health indicators, and aspects related to compassion fatigue have been identified. This analysis enables the college to better prepare its students for the labor market and ensure the availability of necessary specialists in the healthcare sector.
- “Job Satisfaction and Mental Health of Estonian Physiotherapists (including emotional well-being, burnout, compassion satisfaction and fatigue)”
The aim of the applied research is to assess the job satisfaction and mental health indicators of Estonian physiotherapists, including emotional well-being, burnout, compassion satisfaction, and compassion fatigue. Ethics Approval: University of Tartu Human Research Ethics Committee 398/T-22, 17.02.2025. Principal Investigator: M. Mõttus.
- “Associations between Health Behaviors (physical activity, sleep quality, and dietary habits) and Quality of Life Indicators among Estonian Physiotherapists”
The aim of the applied research is to explore the associations between health behaviors (physical activity, sleep quality, dietary habits) and quality of life indicators among. Estonian physiotherapists.Ethics Approval: University of Tartu Human Research Ethics Committee 402/T-10, 16.06.2025. Principal Investigator: M. Mõttus
- “Understanding of Physiotherapists’ Activities and Roles in the Interdisciplinary Team among Staff of East-Viru Central Hospital.” The aim of the applied research is to explore the understanding of East-Viru Central Hospital staff regarding the activities and roles of physiotherapists in an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Ethics Approval: University of Tartu Human Research Ethics Committee 402/T-9, 16.06.2025. Principal Investigator: A.-L. Tamm.
Articles/publications
- Changes in the Mental Health Indicators and Training Opportunities for Estonian Elite Athletes Compared to the COVID-19 Isolation Period. (2022). Authors: Tamm, A.-L., Parm, Ü., Aluoja, A., Tomingas, T. Sports, 10(5): 76. DOI: 10.3390/sports10050076.
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Estonian Elite Athletes: Survey on Mental Health Characteristics, Training Conditions, Competition Possibilities and Perception of Supportiveness. (2021). Authors: Parm, Ü., Aluoja, A., Tomingas, T., Tamm, A.-L. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18084317.
Science Popularization
- Emotional Well-being and Fears of Higher Education Graduates Regarding Entry into the Labor Market.
- Collected Research Papers of Tartu Health Care College XIV. (2020, pp. 116−126). Paar OÜ.
Student Thesis Related to the Research Group
- Jaanika Reinmann (Master’s Thesis)
- Anastassija Mihhailova and Karina Kuld (Master’s Thesis)
- Tuuli Tomingas. (2024). Emotional Well-being of Estonian Elite Athletes During and After the COVID-19 Emergency Situation.
Supervisors: Ü. Parm, A.-L. Tamm - Enok, G.F. (2022). Social Media Addiction Among Estonian Residents Aged 18–22.
Supervisor: A. Kutman
