WORK-RELATED STRESS AND ITS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AMONG ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN A TERTIARY CARE ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTRE
Keywords:
Allied Health Personnel, allied health occupations, professional burnout, occupational stress, academic medical centers, workplaceAbstract
Background of the study: Work-related stress is a significant concern in workplaces, particularly in healthcare settings, where healthcare professionals, including Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), often face high levels of stress and burnout, which affects their efficiency and productivity at the workplace. This study aims to investigate the levels of work-related stress and explore the difference in work-related stress based on age, gender, and education level among AHPs.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an academic medical institution in Karachi, Pakistan, involving 114 Allied Health Professionals. The study utilized non-random purposive sampling, employing descriptive statistics to explore stress prevalence and inferential tests to examine stress level differences based on Age, Gender, and Education level.
Results: Of 114 participants, 45 (39.5%) reported moderate stress levels, and 36 (31.6%) reported severe ones. Only 21 (18.4%) indicated low stress levels, with a small proportion of 5 (4.4%) reporting feeling calm and relaxed, and 7 (6.1%) of participants reported potentially dangerous stress levels. Furthermore, an independent t-test comparing stress levels between gender participants showed no significant difference (p=0.62). ANOVA tests examining the influence of age and education level on workplace stress also revealed non-significant results.
Conclusion: The study highlights that most of the participants experience moderate to severe workplace stress, with some potentially dangerous levels.
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