A structural model approach toward the development of a theory of the link between stress and mental health.

This study attempts to develop an empirical model of the link between stress and mental health, focusing particularly on occupational stress. Three different models were assessed-the person-stress model, the dispositional model, and the indigenous model--using structural equation modelling. The indigenous model was found to be the most predictive of mental health. In this model, personality and coping strategies precede and determine the perception of job stressors, which ultimately affect the mental well-being of the individual.