Workload and coping with stress and the health status of emergency medical staff in the context of work–life balance

Abstract

Background Emergency medical staff (EMS) are a professional group at a high risk of burnout and an imbalance between work and private life, the so-called work–life balance (WLB). This affects their mental state and physical health. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the number of hours of work and the state of health as well as coping with the stress among emergency medical staff, as factors conditioning the maintenance of WLB. Material and Methods The study involved 129 people employed in the medical emergency sector. The study was conducted as a diagnostic survey using tools such as: the Mini-COPE Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress , a specially designed questionnaire regarding the work schedule, and sociodemographic data. Results The examined people were able to manage stress in an active way, and they most often rated their health as good. Most of the respondents also received family support, and both men and women declared it. However, only about half of the respondents declared their satisfaction with the income earned. The correlation between the number of hours and age was r = –0.156 (p = 0.077), and that between the number of hours and physical health r = –0.12 (p = 0.171). Conclusions Generally, EMS are able to cope with stress and are satisfied with the support they receive from their families. However, the number of on-call times at work has a negative impact on their health status, which, together with a lack of satisfaction with the financial situation, may contribute to disturbed WLB. Further research on the WLB phenomenon, along with monitoring the number of working hours of people employed in emergency medicine, are recommended. Med Pr. 2020;71(5):587–93

Keywords

• coping
• stress
• emergency medicine
• physical health
• mental state
• work–life balance