BACKGROUND: This study examines the relationships among job satisfaction, work-family conflict, psychological distress, and turnover intention among nursing assistants in China, with a particular focus on the mediating role of psychological distress. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 240 nursing assistants from Jiangsu and Fujian provinces between December 2023 and March 2024. Standardized instruments measured job satisfaction, work-family conflict, psychological distress (K10), and turnover intention. Pearson correlation and mediation analyses were performed using PROCESS Macro (Model 4) to assess relationships and mediating effects. RESULTS: Job satisfaction was negatively associated with turnover intention (r=-0.30, p < 0.01) and psychological distress (r=-0.23, p < 0.01). Work-family conflict was positively correlated with psychological distress (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and turnover intention (r = 0.48, p < 0.01). Mediation analyses indicated that psychological distress partially explained the associations of job satisfaction and work-family conflict with turnover intention, accounting for 17.64% and 27.22% of the total effects, respectively. CONCLUSION: Job satisfaction and work-family conflict demonstrate both direct associations with turnover intention and indirect associations through psychological distress. These findings suggest that integrating psychological health protection into workforce management strategies, alongside reducing work-family conflict and strengthening organizational resources, may represent a viable approach to improving retention in China's long-term care sector. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Yu et al. (2026) studied this question.