Title : Exploitation of emotional value in workplace settings affects depression, anxiety, and overall mental health among Chinese adults: Evidence from a convenience sample of a cross-sectional survey in the post-COVID era
Abstract:
"Emotional value" is a concept that has gained significant traction on the Chinese Internet in the post-pandemic era, becoming one of China's "Top Ten Buzzwords" in 2023. It refers to an individual's ability to convey and influence others' emotional states through words, behaviors, and expressions in interpersonal interactions, thereby generating either positive or negative emotional experiences (The Editorial Department of Yaowenjiaozi, 2024). This study examines the extent of emotional value exploitation experienced by Chinese adults across different workplace environments and luxury brand exposure levels. It further explores the relationship between emotional value exploitation and respondents' levels of anxiety and depression. A cross-sectional survey comprising 31 questions was designed using the Tencent questionnaire platform. The survey included a depression scale (Kroenke et al., 2001), a generalized anxiety scale (Spitzer et al., 2006), demographic variables, luxury brand exposure, and self-reported assessments of depression and anxiety. The questionnaire was distributed online, offering a random reward ranging from RMB 0 to 3. A total of 2,852 responses were collected, with 2,285 valid questionnaires retained after removing missing, extreme, and suspected machine-generated data. The survey achieved a reliability coefficient of 0.91 and covered nearly all provinces in China (excluding Tibet and Taiwan). Descriptive statistics and regression modeling were employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that respondents’ depression and anxiety levels were not significantly associated with the actual emotional value contributed but were strongly correlated with their perception of being "forced" to provide emotional labor. Additionally, while employment in the service industry did not show a significant correlation with mental health indicators, individuals working in media-related occupations exhibited higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those in other professions. By providing empirical data from China, this study sheds light on the exploitation of workers' mental health by capital through the lens of emotional value. It offers a critical reference for understanding the intersection of emotional labor and mental health in career development.
