The Challenges of Public Healthcare: Exploratory Study of Job Demands-Resources on Italian Public Health Managers

To identify and analyse the main job demands, resources and well-being perceived by public health managers. Semistructured, in-depth interviews and group interviews were conducted between April and October 2023. A comprehensive organisational sample of 194 Italian public health managers was recruited. Template analysis was used to analyse the data. Based on the experiences reported by the participants, the following categories were identified: job demands, job resources, personal resources, employee well-being, and outcomes. Job detachment was found to be a key factor in the well-being of public health managers. Obsessive and harmonious passion at work played a dual role associated both with (i) work-life conflict and work disengagement and (ii) better work performance and organisational commitment. Episodes of organisational injustice led to conflict between colleagues and an increased workload. Crucially, the main themes that emerged from this sample were the role of passion at work and the lack of psychological detachment during rest periods, which resulted in severe health and psychological consequences, including burnout and health impairments. This study allows us to understand the vital role of vocation for healthcare leaders, who saw their work activity not only as a profession but also as a mission to fulfil. Consequently, these results are informative for understanding and improving the quality of working life of healthcare workers, offering valuable insights for future human resource management policies in public health sectors.