Inauthenticity and Depression: Assessing the Consequences of Interactive Service Work

Abstract

Interactive service jobs are an increasingly important feature of the occupational landscape. Despite over a decade of rising employment within this segment of the economy, researchers are only beginning to specify the occupational conditions of service sector jobs and the mechanisms through which such conditions may affect mental health. Here we examine the experience of inauthenticity on the job as useful not only for understanding workers' responses to particular facets of interactive service work but also for identifying the conditions under which such work may lead to increased psychological distress. Findings show that inauthenticity mediates the relationship between interactive service work conditions and depressed mood. Additionally, having to be good at people-handling skills tends to be associated with increased feelings of inauthenticity at work whereas working more frequently with other people and having control over one's work tend to reduce the likelihood of such feelings.