The buffering effects of mindfulness and organizational support on the mental health of hospital pharmacists in high-workload environments

The present research aims to explore the impact of workload on the mental well-being of hospital pharmacists, focusing on the mediating roles of mindfulness and perceived organizational support (POS). Utilizing a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 411 hospital pharmacists in Punjab, Pakistan, during July–September 2023 via stratified sampling. Mental well-being was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the workload was assessed by the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), mindfulness using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire—Short Form (FFMQ-SF), and POS using a modified version of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to validate the measurement model, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the constructs involved. Further, the study utilized the PROCESS macro within SPSS (v28) to conduct mediation analysis, evaluating both direct and indirect effects of workload on mental well-being through the proposed mediators. The findings revealed a significant negative influence of workload on the participants’ mental well-being (β = − 0.472, p < 0.001). Three indirect pathways further affect this association: through mindfulness (β = − 0.208, p < 0.001), POS (β = − 0.135, p < 0.001), and serially through both mindfulness and POS (β = − 0.073, p < 0.001). These indirect effects collectively account for a substantial portion of the overall impact. The findings highlight the importance of implementing strategies to manage workload and enhance mindfulness and organizational support to promote the mental well-being of hospital pharmacists.