Connections that matter: the role of social support in the relationship between work stress and mental health of Spanish scientists

Work stress is a factor that negatively impacts mental health. The aim of this work is to analyse the factors that may have an effect on the mental health of women working in science and scientific research in Spain. The relationship between work-related stress and mental health is examined, as well as the influence of social support and age. as influencing factors. To this end, a survey was carried out on 231 participants, which was analysed using a descriptive approach and a moderation and mediation analysis using multiple linear regression. The results revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation in the relationship between stress and mental health. Although a moderation effect of social support between stress and mental health was not found, the findings indicated that social support from a special person did act as a relevant mediator. Those people who received this type of support experienced a reduction in their stress level and an improvement in their mental health. In this regard, it is necessary to improve labour policies based on support, the equitable distribution of care tasks and institutional policies that contribute to the creation of an environment more favourable to optimal mental health.