EVALUATION OF STRESS LEVELS AND COPING MECHANISMS AMONG EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN TERTIARY HOSPITALS OF PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Keywords:
Adaptation, Psychological, Burnout, Professional, Coping Behavior, Cross-Sectional Studies, Emergency Service, Hospital, Occupational Stress, Pakistan, Resilience, Surveys and Questionnaires, WorkloadAbstract
Background: Emergency healthcare professionals operate in high-intensity environments characterized by time-sensitive decisions, critical patient care, and emotional strain. Chronic exposure to such stressors predisposes them to elevated occupational stress and burnout. Understanding stress levels and identifying effective coping mechanisms are essential for developing institutional strategies that enhance mental well-being and clinical performance.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of occupational stress and explore coping mechanisms adopted by emergency healthcare staff working in tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan.
Methods: This five-month cross-sectional investigation recruited 400 emergency healthcare providers—comprising physicians, nurses, and paramedical staff—from tertiary-level hospitals throughout Pakistan. A stratified random sampling technique was employed for participant selection. Stress perception was quantified using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and coping mechanisms were assessed via the Brief COPE inventory.
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 26.0). Demographic and occupational variables were summarized with descriptive statistics. Differences in average stress scores among various subgroups were evaluated using independent samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Relationships between stress levels and coping approaches were examined through Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. A p-value of less than 0.05 was established as the threshold for statistical significance.
Results: The mean PSS score among participants was 23.6 ± 6.8, indicating moderate to high stress levels. Nurses exhibited significantly higher stress scores (25.1 ± 6.4) compared with doctors (22.9 ± 6.9) and paramedics (21.7 ± 5.8) (p = 0.01). Problem-focused coping (r = −0.42, p < 0.001) and social support (r = −0.33, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with stress, while emotion-avoidant coping showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Regression analysis identified workload, shift duration, and lack of institutional support as significant predictors of stress levels (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Emergency healthcare professionals in Pakistan experience high levels of occupational stress, with nurses being the most affected group. Effective coping mechanisms, particularly problem-solving and social support strategies, play a protective role. Institutional interventions focusing on workload management and psychological resilience training are urgently needed
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