The aim of this study is to examine the interplay of the health impairment and motivational processes of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model over time. Using a three-wave longitudinal design, a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) tested the causal direct and indirect relationships involved in unconnected, burnout-, and engagement-driven models. Support was found for process integration and model comparisons suggest that an engagement-driven process integration is a better alternative than the unconnected or burnout-driven models. At the within-person level, engagement was associated with higher burnout the following year. These findings question the JD-R model and identify new avenues for occupational health research. They most clearly point to the need for more research about how health impairment and motivational processes interact over time.
