Lagged effects of active coping within the demand-control model: a three-wave panel study among Japanese employees

There have been few empirical studies to explain the individual differences in and the underlying mechanism behind the Job Demand-Control (DC) Model.

This study examined the lagged effects of active coping on stress responses (i.e., psychological distress and physical complaints) in the context of the DC Model using three-wave panel survey data with intervals of one month.

Participants were 193 employees working in a construction machinery company in Japan. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine whether or not the effectiveness of active coping would be facilitated by job control as a coping resource.

The advantage of job control in combination with active coping became obvious after one month, which implies that job control has a delayed effect on coping effectiveness. However, the advantage disappeared after two months. These results suggest that the advantage of job control for active coping is limited in time.

Conceptualization of job control as a coping resource seems to be useful in explaining how the DC Model influences employees' health, where time plays an important role.