Stress among Married women working in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross sectional study

 

 

Abstract               Background: Stress is a part and parcel of human lifestyle. It is a bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium. Stress is a part of daily life for health professionals such as nurses, physicians and hospital administrators. Factors like excessive working hours, sleep deprivation and repeated exposure to emotionally charged situations are important risk factors contributing to stress. In addition, family and personal problems aggravate the stress. Objectives: 1. To find the prevalence of stress among married women working in a tertiary care hospital. 2. To find the factors associated with stress among the same respondent. Material and methods: Study design: cross-sectional study. Study setting: Tertiary Care hospital, Government Medical College. Study participants: Married women working in a tertiary care hospital. Period of study: December 2017 to February 2018. Results: There were 24 married female staff doctors, 18 married female resident doctors and 322 nursing staff working in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Among 322 nursing staff, 180 were married nurses. Out of total, 22(92%) staff doctors, 13(72%) resident doctors and 75(42%) nurses could be contacted and interviewed. The mean age of respondents was 31.90 years. Among all respondents, 4(18.2%) staff doctors, 6(46.2%) resident doctors and 52(69.3%) nurses were found to be having stress according to PSS10. As per Perceived Stress scale, nursing respondents showed more stress units i.e., 30, Resident doctors have had 29 units stress and Staff doctors had 28 units stress scores. Conclusions: The Study Concludes that majority of the female medical professionals have work related stress.

Keywords: Married Women, Job Stress, Perceived Stress Scale.

 

INTRODUCTION

Work plays an important part in individual’s life. Apart from being a regular source of income, opportunities for personal growth, social recognition and social esteem, specific aspects of work environment and work content play an important role in occupational stress processes. A job stressor is an antecedent condition within one’s job or the organization that requires an adaptive response on the part of the employee. ¹ Stress is a part and parcel of human lifestyle. ² It is a bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium. ² Stress is a part of daily life for health professionals such as nurses, physicians and hospital administrators. Factors like excessive working hours, sleep deprivation and repeated exposure to emotionally charged situations are important risk factors contributing to stress. ³ In addition, family and personal problems aggravate the stress.

 The findings will be used to make specific recommendations to manage stress among nurses.

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Study design: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in a Tertiary Care hospital, Government Medical College, Latur.

Study participants were Married women working in a tertiary care hospital.

It was conducted from 1^st December 2017 to 28^th February 2018.

Study tool:

Perceived Stress Scale 10(PSS 10) has been used to assess stress level in married women working in a Tertiary Care Hospital.PSS 10 is a set of 10 questions which the participants has mark options according to last one month mental status.

Total score is obtained by summing up the responses from each question. Higher score signifies higher level of stress. Score of 20 or higher are considered high stress.

Study procedure:

Approval from institutional ethics committee was taken prior to starting study. Married Nurses, Staff doctors and Resident doctors were interviewed with the help of pretested questionnaire. Prior verbal consent was taken.

Statistical analysis:

Data thus collected was entered in MS EXCEL sheet and analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0 software using chi square test.

 

RESULTS

There were 24 married female staff doctors, 18 married female resident doctors and 322 nursing staff working in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Among 322 nursing staff, 180 were married nurses. Out of total, 22(92%) staff doctors, 13(72%) resident doctors and 75(42%) nurses could be contacted and interviewed. Mean age of the respondents were 31.90 yrs. Among all respondents, 4(18.2%) staff doctors, 6(46.2%) resident doctors and 52(69.3%) nurses were found to be having stress according to PSS10.  As per Perceived Stress scale, nursing respondents showed more stress units i.e., 30, Resident doctors have had 29 units stress and Staff doctors had 28 units stress scores.

Table 1: Work related characteristics, stressors and Relaxation technique used by study group

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2: Factors in association to stress among respondents

 

DISCUSSION

In our study 74.6% of respondents were between age group 25-35 yrs and 51.4% having 2 children.

About 80% of respondents were living with their family, outside the hospital campus, within 5 km of distance (82.9%) and used their own vehicle (73%) to come to the hospital. In our study, when respondents were asked factors contributing their stress, they replied about factors like, heavy workload with extended duty hours and lack of social and family life which are similar to findings reported by Rajan and Bellare. ⁴ hen job related stress was compared in doctors with that in nurses, both had similar job related stress indicators for personal and organizational relationships as well as duality of roles.

Similar findings have been reported by Golshiri P. ⁵ and Fahad D. Alosaimi. ⁶ Sleep duration of less than 7 hours per day has been strongly associated with high stress implies the fact that average sleep of 7 hours are required for overall physical and mental well-being.  Additionally, work in hospitals is not without stress, especially during hospital events that cause increased levels of job stress. ⁷ Harmful impacts of stress on human health were emphasized as severe disturbance producer in daily life routine which ultimately disturbs both social as well as personal associations. ^8,9

 

LIMITATIONS

Chances of reporting bias since assessment of stress is questionnaire based

 

 

CONCLUSION

The Study Concludes that majority of the female medical professionals have work related stress.

It is evident in the present study that younger age group women were commonly affected with severe stress.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Focused stress management training programs are needed for all healthcare workers.

 

REFERENCES

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