The roles of social support and sense of community in promoting psychological health at work

Abstract

Orientation: The garment industry remains labour-intensive and exposes workers to psychological risks that are often overlooked in social compliance systems.
Research purpose: The study examined how support from colleagues, supervisory support and sense of community shape psychological distress among garment workers in Ghana.
Motivation for the study: Prior research has largely focused on wages, physical safety and compliance, while the psychological health of workers in the garment industry has remained underexplored.
Research approach/design and method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on 416 garment workers in Ghana’s Free Zone hub. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Main findings: Support from colleagues and supervisors strengthened a sense of community at work. Supervisory support and sense of community significantly reduced psychological distress, while the direct effect of colleague support on distress was not significant. Sense of community mediated the relationship between social support and psychological distress.
Practical/managerial implications: Factory managers should train supervisors in supportive communication and create workplace systems that promote belonging, peer interaction and community-building.
Contribution/value-add: Grounded in positive psychology, the study extends psychosocial health literature by showing that workplace relational resources, especially supervisory support and sense of community, are critical for reducing distress among garment workers.