Role Stress Among Doctors Working in a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Role (Work) stress impact not only on doctor’s health but also their ability to cope with their job demands or patient care. Organizational Role Stress (ORS), is the stress explained by the persons because of their role (job) in the organization. It has 10 dimension scores.Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the level organizational role stress, its associated factors and underline role stressors among all non-specialist medical officers working in the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya (THP).Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data was collected by using self-administered ques­tionnaire, which includes Organizational Role Stress (ORS) Scale. All non-specialist medical officers (n=138) working in THP were considered as potential study participants.Results: The study includes 76 respondents (out of 138 doctors) from the different wards and units at THP. The majority were male (n-41, 53.9%) and married (n-59,77.6%). Mean ORS score was 65.5 (SD-32.04). The majority (n-39, 51.3%) of the doctors were having low-medium role stress (ORS score 51-100) and 35.5% had low role stress (ORS score 0-50). But 11.8% (n-9) and 1.3% (n-1) had high medium role stress (ORS score 101-150) and very high role stress level (ORS score 151-200). ORS levels were found to have, statistically significant relation­ships with marital statuses, age, years of experience and management level but not with the sex.Conclusions: Findings of this study revealed that doctors working at THP were suffering from medium to high levels of ORS and Inter Role Distance (IRD), Role Stagnation (RS), Role Overload (RO) and Personal Inadequacy (PI) were reported as the major role related problems among them. Role Ambiguity (RA) is found to be the least problematic role stressor among doctors. The finding of this study demands the attention of administrators and policymakers, to provide an attractive working climate in order to decrease the side effects and consequences of role stress and increase the productivity of the doctors.

Assessment of Organizational Role Stress among Health Care Workers working in Sub Health Centres of Raipur District Chhattisgarh

“…This study is also associated with the study done by Khalid S et al ( 27) among bank employees showed there was no significant difference among work experience of bank employees regarding role stress. In contrast, whereas a study was done by Gunawardane et al (21) among doctors working in a teaching hospital found that there is significant (P<0.05) relationship between experience (in years) of the respondents and with regard to various dimensions and overall level of role stress. The present study not supports the previous studies of Bano B et al ( 14) that shows there is significant difference (p=0.005<0.05) between the organizational role stress levels of study subjects and work experience.…”

“…A study done by Godifay G. et al (20) among health care workers in North Ethiopia found that marital status was significantly associated with Organizational Stress. Another study done by Gunawardane et al (21) among doctors working in a teaching hospital found that there is significant (p=.03<0.05) relationship between marital status of the respondents and with regard to various dimensions and overall level of role stress. The result of the present study reveals that there is significant difference on overall stress and education status of HCWS.A similar study done by Sanjeev M.A.…”