SELF-EFFICACY AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION AS PREDICTORS OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG SOCIAL WORKERS: ALIGNING RESEARCH WITH EUROPEAN UNION WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH GUIDELINES *

Abstract

Occupational health and safety have been a priority for the European Union (EU) since the 1980s. Over the past decades, the EU has developed à series of strategic documents underscoring the importance of mental health. Several of these specifically address mental health in the workplace, including Directive 89/391/EEC, which serves as a foundational legislative framework. More recently, the European Commission issued a Communication on a Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health, further highlighting workplace mental health as a policy priority These initiatives demonstrate a sustained and growing commitment by the EU to improving mental health outcomes within occupational settings. Against this backdrop, the present study aimed to examine the contribution of self-efficacy and emotion regulation to levels of dep ressive symptoms among social workers employed in Croatian social welfare institutions. Additionally, the research explored potential differences in depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and emotion regulation based on the length of service within the social care system. The study included 256 participants employed across regional offices of the Croatian Institute of Social Work. The findings indicate that social workers with longer tenure in the social care system reported more depressive symptoms. Moreover, self-efficacy and emotional suppression emerged as significant predictors of depressive symptoms in this population. Considering current EU policy directions, these results underscore the need 'for policymakers and organizational leaders to implement comprehensive mental health strategies that align with EU standards. Future initiatives at the EU level should more explicitly address sector-specific Psychological risk factors and develop tailored interventions for professions characterized by high emotional labor. Such targeted approaches are essential to enhancing the effectiveness of workplace mental health policies.