Levels and Determinants of Work-Related Stress among Resident Doctors in Basrah, Iraq

Abstract

Background: A proper healthcare service can be provided by healthcare workers including physicians and paramedics with perfect mental health who are free from occupational stress. Stress can affect up to 60% of health care providers including physicians, advanced care providers, and nurses. The study aimed to measure the prevalence of work-related stress among resident doctors in Basrah city and to determine its determinants.Method: An observational cross-sectional study that had been conducted at Al Basrah center Hospital. Ninety-seven resident doctors were included. The doctors were interviewed through the usage of a special questionnaire, the Workplace Stress Scale (WSS) was used to assess the stress level among doctors.Results: Of the 97 resident doctors, the mean age was 31.04 years. More than half were females, 43% were at low stress, and those with severe stress formed only 10%. There is a significant association between the stress scale and age, gender, having children, Smoking status, work experience, working hours /week, night shift and work at the weekend since the p-value <0.05.Conclusion: more than half of the participants expressed some level of stress, and those with younger age, male sex, having children, smokers, with less work experience, higher working hours, working at weekends and having a night shift all had higher levels of stress.

Keywords

• resident-doctors determinants work-related stress-scale basrah