The Effect of Spiritual Intelligence on Occupational Stress Among Medical Interns During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Equation Model

Abstract

Background: Many medical students experience heavy occupational stress during their long education period. Occupational stress can be affected by several factors, including spiritual intelligence. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the level of occupational stress in medical interns during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of spiritual intelligence. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 209 medical interns at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran) in the autumn of 2020. Eligible medical students answered two online questionnaires: the Opisow occupational stress questionnaire and the King Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS 16 and EQS6.1 using structural equation modeling. Results: The mean occupational stress score and the mean spiritual intelligence score of the participants were 184.57 ± 23.57 and 50.44 ± 13.97, respectively. All the model fitness indices were in the acceptable range (CMIN/df = 2.3, RMSEA = 0.07, GFI = 0.91, and CFI = 0.93); thus, the proposed model was confirmed. Spiritual intelligence was a factor affecting occupational stress (β = -0.45). Besides, all of the subscales of spiritual intelligence negatively affected occupational stress with the following effect sizes: transcendent awareness (β = -0.53), critical existential thinking (β = -0.43), production of personal meaning (β = -0.41), and consciousness state expansion (β = -0.27). Conclusions: According to the model fitness indices, it can be concluded that the proposed model was acceptable. All subscales of spiritual intelligence had a negative impact on occupational stress.