Background: Meeting psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness as described by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has been associated with increased well-being and job satisfaction in mental health staff and improved care outcomes for patients.
Aims: The study investigated whether psychological need satisfaction predicted stress, turnover intention and job satisfaction in health care assistants (HCA) working in inpatient mental health hospitals in the United Kingdom including full time (FT) and temporary agency worker (TAW) staff.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey explored need satisfaction between FT (n = 63) and TAW (n = 39) staff using the Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale. Multiple regression was used to explore whether satisfaction of the needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness predicted scores on measures of stress, job satisfaction and turnover intention.
Results: Results were comparable between FT and TAW staff. Autonomy was the need least satisfied, a need which predicted self-reported job satisfaction, stress and turnover intention. Relatedness also predicted job satisfaction and turnover intention.
Conclusions: Recommendations are made to explore experiences of (and barriers to) autonomy and relatedness in inpatient HCA staff to target and improve autonomy and relatedness in this workforce. Implications of doing so are considered at a staffing, organisational and patient level.
Keywords: Mental health staff; health care assistant; inpatient; self-determination theory.