Workplace Language Style and Employee Mental Health: A Sem Analysis From a Psycholinguistic Perspective

Authors

  • Qingqing Zhang

    College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing 655011, China
  • Anran Zhang

    College of Innovative Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13180, Thailand
  • Jue Tan

    School of Agricultural, Cultural and Tourism Industries, Yunnan Vocational and Technical College of Agriculture, Kunming 650000, China
  • Chao Sun

    School of Finance and Commerce, Honghe Vocational and Technical College, Mengzi 661100, China
  • Pengjun Qian

    Clinical College, Qujing University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Qujing 655100, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i9.10897
Received: 5 July 2025 | Revised: 25 July 2025 | Accepted: 28 July 2025 | Published Online: 16 September 2025

Abstract

 In the modern workplace, the nature of communication within the organisation is crucial in determining the mental health and well-being of employees. Although the effects of communication styles on different organisational outcomes have been documented in past studies, the psycholinguistic approach has not been well explored. This paper examines the relationship between the language style in the workplace environment and the mental health of employees, with a focus on the mediating role of politeness strategies. Applying the Structural Equation modeling (SEM) methodology, the study examines the mediating effects of friendly and aggressive language styles on mental health in terms of stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. A sample of 462 full-time workers from various industries was obtained through online surveys and linguistic analysis of sample texts from workplace communication. The researchers concluded that, in both direct and indirect ways (i.e., by contributing to politeness strategies), supportive language is a strong predictor of better mental health. On the other hand, aggressive language has a very negative impact on mental health outcomes, whereby a politeness strategy cannot help to curb the ill effects of aggressive language. The results highlight the need to examine the role of minor language specificities, namely tone, directness, and politeness, in affecting employee well-being. The study would facilitate the development of psycholinguistic organizational communication research literature and help identify the practical implications of interventions in the workplace to enhance mental health. The study suggests that organizations can improve employee well-being by cultivating a culture of communication characterized by politeness, inclusivity, and emotional intelligence. Future research should further explore the intersection of communication, cultural context, and organizational outcomes to understand better the role of language in shaping employee mental health.

Keywords:

Psycholinguistics; Workplace Communication; Language Style; Employee Well-being; SEM; Organisational Behaviour; Mental Health

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How to Cite

Zhang, Q., Zhang, A., Tan, J., Sun, C., & Qian , P. (2025). Workplace Language Style and Employee Mental Health: A Sem Analysis From a Psycholinguistic Perspective. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(9), 903–919. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i9.10897

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 9 (September 2025)

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Qingqing Zhang, Anran Zhang, Jue Tan, Chao Sun, Pengjun Qian

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.