2823 – Stress-Related Psychological Symptoms Among Health Care Professionals in a Greek Hospital

Abstract

Introduction:

Healthcare professionals (HCP) suffer from work-related or occupational stress often resulting from high expectations, coupled with insufficient time, skills and/or social support at work, but stress also resolves from everyday life.

Aims:

The aim of the present study was to measure the stress-related psychological symptoms in HCP and to assess significant differences among different specialties.

Methods:

Stress as a syndrome that is factorially distinct from depression and anxiety, characterized by nervous tension, difficulty relaxing and irritability, was measured with the stress scale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS-19.

Results:

196 HCP from a public hospital in Greece participated in the study. of them, 33 (16.6%) were males and 166(83.4%) females. 49(24.6%) were nursing staff, 59(29.6%) medical staff (MS) and 91(45.7%) administrative personnel (AP). in stress, Nursing Aid (NA) (M = 14.8 ± 8.4), Paramedics (P) (M = 17.8 ± 10.5) and MS (M = 13.7 ± 10.7) had higher scores from the general population (M = 12.4 ± 9.8). Statistical significant differences were found with Mann Whitney U, in stress between Register Nurses (RN) (M = 8.1 ± 6.4) and MS (M = 13.7 ± 10.7) (z = −2.458 p < .05) and between RN and NA (M = 14.8 ± 8.4) (z = −2.058 p < .05). After ANOVA, MS were found more easily upset, impatient and irritable/over reactive than RN(z = −1.952 −2.034 and −2.408 p < .05 respectively), NA more easily upset and irritable than RN(z = −2.875 and −2.160 p < .05 respectively) and paramedics were more impatient than RN (z = −2.713).

Conclusions:

Health care staff experiences stress with significant differences among different specialties that are correlated with the profession and the demands of the job description.