OCCUPATION AND HEALTH ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (14): 1941-1945.

• Treatise—Epidemiology and Preventive Health Care • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Mediating role of digital health technology literacy in relationship between social support and mental health of in-service hospital employees

SUN Hong, YAN Tinghua(), MOU Xiaodong, WANG Jun, YU Shuangmei   

  1. Affiliated Nanjing Hospital of Nanjing Medical University(Nanjing First Hospital)NanjingJiangsu 210006, China
  • Received:2025-05-27 Revised:2025-12-14 Online:2026-07-15 Published:2026-07-16
  • Contact: YAN Tinghua,E-mail:Zf2005ym@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To understand the mental health status of hospital employees and explore the mediating role of digital health technology literacy between social support and mental health. Methods From September to October 2023,a cluster sampling method was used to select 1 175 in-service employees in Affiliated Nanjing Hospital of Nanjing Medical University as survey subjects. The survey was conducted using the general situation scale,digital health technology literacy scale,social support scale,9-item patient health questionnaire depression scale,and 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale,and the data were analyzed. Results The depression score of hospital employees was (5.25±1.12)points,with a total of 483 cases of mild depression or above. The anxiety score of hospital employees was (4.48±1.06)points,with a total of 386 cases of mild anxiety or above. The social support score for hospital employees was (34.28±5.82)points,and the digital health technology literacy score was (71.68±12.46)points. There were statistically significant differences in digital health technology literacy scores among hospital employees of different gender,age,years of service,and professional title(all P<0.01).There were statistically significant differences in social support scores among hospital employees of different gender,age,years of service,professional title,and marital status(all P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in depression and anxiety scores among hospital employees of different gender,age,years of service,professional title,and marital status(all P<0.01). The digital health technology literacy of hospital employees was negatively correlated with depression(r=-0.544,P<0.01) and anxiety(r=-0.572,P<0.01). There was a positive correlation between social support and digital health technology literacy(r=0.312,P<0.01). The digital health technology literacy partially mediated the relationship between social support,depression,and anxiety among hospital employees,with mediation effects of -0.263 and -0.227,accounting for 44.73% and 41.42% of the total effect. Conclusion The digital health technology literacy plays a partial mediating role between social support,anxiety,and depression among hospital employees,and the hospital managers can improve the level of digital health technology literacy among employees by strengthening digital health technology training,thereby improving their mental health status.

Key words: In-service hospital employees, Digital health technology literacy, Social support, Mental health, Mediation

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