Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model
Construction workers are exposed to a range of stressors that lead to mental ill-health. In a multicultural construction workplace, the interactions between workers with different cultural backgrounds may aggravate mental health issues. Existing studies on coping typically focus on a reactive approa...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Buildings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/662 |
| _version_ | 1797506389121171456 |
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| author | Qinjun Liu Yingbin Feng Kerry London |
| author_facet | Qinjun Liu Yingbin Feng Kerry London |
| author_sort | Qinjun Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Construction workers are exposed to a range of stressors that lead to mental ill-health. In a multicultural construction workplace, the interactions between workers with different cultural backgrounds may aggravate mental health issues. Existing studies on coping typically focus on a reactive approach to managing stressors in the absence of cultural-related factors. This approach is inadequate in addressing mental health issues in a culturally diverse construction workplace. This paper presents a critical review that synthesizes and analyses theories and models of stress and coping, proactive coping, occupational stress, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence to develop a conceptual model for managing mental health in a multicultural construction workforce. The proposed model relies upon a positive coping mechanism, i.e., intercultural coping, to manage stressful events during the entire coping process in a multicultural workplace, towards achieving sustained good mental health. The proposed conceptual model contributes to the development of coping theories and positive psychology approaches and provides effective coping strategies to enhance psychological well-being in a multicultural context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:31:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c7b12aec28e4595bb19d2ed2553c4c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:31:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Buildings |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c7b12aec28e4595bb19d2ed2553c4c02023-11-23T04:04:11ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092021-12-01111266210.3390/buildings11120662Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping ModelQinjun Liu0Yingbin Feng1Kerry London2School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaOffice of Pro Vice Chancellor (Research), Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield St, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaConstruction workers are exposed to a range of stressors that lead to mental ill-health. In a multicultural construction workplace, the interactions between workers with different cultural backgrounds may aggravate mental health issues. Existing studies on coping typically focus on a reactive approach to managing stressors in the absence of cultural-related factors. This approach is inadequate in addressing mental health issues in a culturally diverse construction workplace. This paper presents a critical review that synthesizes and analyses theories and models of stress and coping, proactive coping, occupational stress, acculturative stress, and intercultural competence to develop a conceptual model for managing mental health in a multicultural construction workforce. The proposed model relies upon a positive coping mechanism, i.e., intercultural coping, to manage stressful events during the entire coping process in a multicultural workplace, towards achieving sustained good mental health. The proposed conceptual model contributes to the development of coping theories and positive psychology approaches and provides effective coping strategies to enhance psychological well-being in a multicultural context.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/662mental healthstressorspositive copingmulticultural workplaceconstruction workersconceptual model |
| spellingShingle | Qinjun Liu Yingbin Feng Kerry London Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model Buildings mental health stressors positive coping multicultural workplace construction workers conceptual model |
| title | Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model |
| title_full | Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model |
| title_fullStr | Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model |
| title_short | Theorizing to Improve Mental Health in Multicultural Construction Industries: An Intercultural Coping Model |
| title_sort | theorizing to improve mental health in multicultural construction industries an intercultural coping model |
| topic | mental health stressors positive coping multicultural workplace construction workers conceptual model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/11/12/662 |
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