Employees' personality traits and needs' frustration predicts stress overload during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed at identifying significant associations between stress, personality traits, and basic psychological needs' satisfaction and frustration. In the study, a simple random sample consisted of 245 employees (mean age = 39.6; SD = 10.82). 138 (57.5%) employees worked in the public sector, and 102 (42.5%) employees worked in the private sector. This study found no statistically significant differences between the private and public sector employees in the stress overload. Private sector employees demonstrated higher autonomy and relatedness satisfaction, while public sector employees demonstrated higher autonomy frustration. Public sector employees demonstrated higher scores on agreeableness and conscientiousness, but no significant differences between public and private sectors were found comparing the scores on extraversion, neuroticism, and open-mindedness. The SEM identified some significant associations between neuroticism, unsatisfied needs, and stress overload; conscientiousness, unsatisfied needs, and stress overload; basic psychological needs' satisfaction and four personality traits, namely, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and open-mindedness.