A cross-sectional study to assess the level of stress and its sources among teaching medical faculties working in a medical college, Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Stress at work has touched most the professions. The lives of teaching medical faculties are often stressful. Increased exposure to stressful events may cause psycho-social disorders like depression, anxiety, self-doubt, insomnia and psychosomatic disorders like impaired immune function, increased cardiovascular risk factors, migraine, ulcers etc. This may also affect the teaching qualities of the medical faculties to the students. Several studies on work related stress have demonstrated that burnout has a strong impact on certain professions, teaching faculties in particular. This study was done to assess the level of stress and its sources among teaching medical faculties. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire which covered three categories, including socio-demographic details, Perceived Stress Scale and information regarding 16 selected stressors which were related to stress was collected. Data were recorded, tabulated and analysed. The study showed that out of the 122 study subjects, majority of teaching medical faculties had a moderate level of stress (60.6%) whereas 35.2% had a low level of stress and only very few (4.2%) had a high level of stress. The mean PSS score in this study was 16.04 (±5.59 SD). The present study identified that majority of the teaching medical faculties have a moderate level of stress. Most of them find traffic while travelling to work, climatic conditions and high level of expectations from patients as stressors. Necessary workplace interventions should be made to help them cope with work. Every effort should be made to help them deal with stress effectively and safely.