Stress coping strategies as predictors of job fatigue and psychological health among casino employees in Macao SAR (China)

Abstract

This study investigates the predictive role of stress coping strategies on job fatigue and psychological health among casino employees in Macao, a sector marked by high emotional labor and irregular work schedules. Guided by the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping and Workplace Burnout Theory, the research examines how coping behaviors shape burnout and emotional health outcomes. Data were collected in 2023 through electronic surveys distributed to managerial divisions of six major integrated resort enterprises, yielding 563 valid responses. Using ANOVA and regression analyses, the study identifies significant differences in coping strategies, fatigue, and psychological health across demographic groups such as age, education, and marital status. Employees with lower educational attainment showed greater reliance on interpersonal venting and online gambling, while those earning MOP 25,000–30,000 per month most frequently adopted venting as a stress-relief strategy. Findings reveal moderate to high burnout levels, with 16% of respondents reporting severe to extremely severe depression and 33·9% exhibiting severe to extremely severe anxiety. Regression results confirm that venting in peers’ functions as a protective factor that reduces burnout and enhances emotional health, whereas maladaptive strategies intensify distress. The study advances occupational health research by highlighting culturally specific coping patterns in the gaming sector and their differential effects on well-being. These insights provide a foundation for developing targeted psychological support and employee wellness interventions to strengthen workforce resilience within Macao’s integrated resort industry.