Effort-Reward Imbalance and Subjective Well-Being of Chinese residency training mentors: the role of social emotions and over-commitment

Background Mentors in Standardized Residency Training (SRT) experience substantial occupational stress due to demanding work environments and teaching responsibilities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) on Mentors’ Subjective Well-Being (TSWQ), with a focus on the mediating role of Social Emotions (SES; both Positive Social Emotions [PSE] and Negative Social Emotions [NSE]) and the moderating role of Over-Commitment (OC). Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 748 Mentors. Validated scales were used to collect data on ERI, PSE, NSE, OC, and TSWQ. Parallel mediation models were employed to test mediating effects, followed by moderated parallel mediation models to examine the moderating role of OC. Regression analyses and bootstrapping methods were used to assess indirect and direct effects. Results The parallel mediation model showed significant indirect associations of ERI with TSWQ through PSE ( β = −0.086, p < 0.01) and NSE ( β = −0.052, p < 0.01). The direct association between ERI and TSWQ was also significant ( β = −0.308, p < 0.001). The moderated parallel mediation model revealed that OC significantly moderated the relationship between ERI and both PSE ( β = 0.065, p < 0.05) and TSWQ ( β = 0.062, p < 0.01), attenuating the negative associations of Effort-Reward Imbalance with these outcomes. Conclusion The findings suggest that OC mitigates the negative impact of ERI on Mentors’ social emotions and Subjective Well-Being. Recognizing the role of OC and addressing ERI may help improve Mentors’ well-being and emotional health in SRT contexts.