Perceived Overqualification and Psychological Well-Being Among Immigrants: The Moderating Role of Personal Resources

Migration is often driven by immigrants' hope of improving their job situation. However, in the host country, they are at risk of holding jobs below their qualifications. This study examines the relationship between perceived overqualification and psychological well-being (depressive symptoms a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personnel psychology 2019, Vol.18 (1), p.34-45
Main Authors: Wassermann, Maria, Hoppe, Annekatrin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Female
Hope
Human
Immigration
Intervention
Life Satisfaction
Major Depression
Male
Meaning
Optimism
Symptoms
Test Construction
Well Being
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Summary:Migration is often driven by immigrants' hope of improving their job situation. However, in the host country, they are at risk of holding jobs below their qualifications. This study examines the relationship between perceived overqualification and psychological well-being (depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) among 176 Italian immigrants in Germany along with the buffering role of optimism and meaning-making. The results show that perceived overqualification is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of life satisfaction. Optimism moderates the relationship between perceived overqualification and life satisfaction: the relationship is attenuated with increasing optimism. We conclude that interventions that enhance optimism could help immigrants cope with perceived overqualification.
ISSN:1866-5888
2190-5150
DOI:10.1027/1866-5888/a000219