Occupational Stress among Medical Practitioners in Gandhinagar City, Gujarat: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: It is well established that medical practitioners experience high levels of job stress. This study assessed the perceived stress and stressors among medical practitioners from various specialities in Gandhinagar City of the Gujarat State.Materials and Methods: Using a cross-sectional research design, 72 medical practitioners, from different specialities and practice settings in Gandhinagar City of the Gujarat State, were briefly interviewed using the semi-structured interview protocol and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), during the period from May to June 2019.Results: The study showed that the majority of medical practitioners had a moderate level of stress (70%), and 11% of them had a severe level of stress. A chi-square test of independence revealed that gender (p=.0029), speciality (p=.0021), practice setting (p=.021), and experience (p=.001) were statistically significant for stress levels. Further, the average PSS score differed significantly according to stressors, namely, work related (p=.004), financial (p=.008), family (p=.049), excessive workload (p=.001), night duty (p=.012) and long working hours (p=.000). However, most medical practitioners did not perceive stress as a problem, and perhaps for that reason necessary actions for stress management were not reported by them.Conclusion: Present study reported high level of stress among medical practitioners, indicating a critical need to address occupational stress among medical practitioners in Gandhinagar City. Immediate actions are warranted for preventing adverse effect of stress on overall health and wellbeing of medical practitioners.. Future study on a large sample that assesses stress, mental health risk, and coping responses would be important step.