Technostress, Perceived Organizational Support, and Burnout Among Healthcare Professionals: A Suppression Mediation...

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to assess technostress and burnout levels among healthcare practitioners, explore the relationships between technostress, perceived organizational support (POS), and burnout, and examine whether POS mediates this relationship using a suppression approach. The rapid proliferation of digital health technologies has increased technology-related job demands in healthcare settings. Technostress has become a major psychological risk factor associated with burnout, but evidence for its direct effects is inconsistent. Although organizational resources, especially perceived organizational support, might moderate this relationship, the underlying mechanism is not well understood, particularly in the context of rapidly digitalizing healthcare systems like Saudi Arabia's. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter, descriptive-correlational study with a sample of 150 healthcare professionals conveniently selected from clinical settings in Saudi Arabia. Technostress Creators Scale, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and Perceived Organizational Support Scale were used for data collection. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlations, multiple regression, bootstrap mediation analyses, and structural equation modeling. Results: Moderate levels of technostress were observed across all dimensions (M = 2.87-3.42). POS was positively related to technostress (r = +0.36, p < 0.001) and negatively related to burnout (r = -0.54, p < 0.001). The bivariate relationship between technostress and burnout was nonsignificant (r = -0.06, p = 0.437). Mediation analysis showed a significant negative indirect effect through POS (β = -0.19, p = 0.002) and a significant positive direct effect (β = +0.14, p = 0.019), indicating an inconsistent mediation (suppression effect). Structural equation modelling demonstrated excellent model fit consistent with a just-identified model. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the observed statistical associations are consistent with a suppression mediation model in which technostress was positively associated with burnout while also being associated with higher perceived organizational support, which in turn was negatively associated with burnout. POS plays a critical protective role but does not fully offset the harmful associations of technostress. Healthcare organizations should implement proactive support strategies, including continuous technical support, structured digital training, and active managerial engagement, to manage technostress and reduce burnout risk.