Socio-psychological factors of occupational stress in medical workers

Introduction. The need to study the socio-psychological factors of occupational stress in medical workers is due to the need for the earliest possible profiling and identification of factors of adverse functional conditions, including occupational stress, taking into account the specifics of the professional activities of medical workers.

Purpose of the study. The study of socio-psychological factors (the level of claims, conflict, and social frustration) of occupational stress in medical workers.

Materials and methods. The total sample size was sixty 23–59 years 60 people. The experimental group included 30 medical specialists (doctors and nursing staff). The control group consisted of 30 non-medical specialists (psychologists, speech therapists, social workers. Research methods: the method “Integral diagnosis of occupational stress” by A.B. Leonova, the method “Assessment of the level of claims” by V.K. Gerbachevsky, the questionnaire “Level of social frustration” by L.I. Wasserman, the method “Determination of the level of conflict of an individual by D.M. Ramendik.

Results. Moderate levels of both acute and chronic occupational stress were found in medical and non-medical workers, which is an argument in favour of the combined status of high stress resistance and professional adaptation. The triad of indicators including social frustration, conflict, and the level of claims, considered as the studied socio-psychological factors, are in the range of values corresponding to a moderate level.

Research limitations. The possibility of applying the results obtained is limited exclusively to medical professionals (excluding junior medical staff) both with medical and non-medical education, involved in professional interaction.

Conclusion. A necessary condition for the success of the professional activities in both medical and non-medical specialists is psychoprophylaxis and reduction of contextual socio-psychological risks of occupational stress among medical personnel in the presence of a prognostically unfavourable configuration of stressors, as well as the development of prevention competencies, the formation of coping skills, and increased resistance to occupational stress.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Fundamentals of Legislation “On the Protection of Citizens’ Health”; all participants signed an informed consent to the examination (extract from the minutes of the meeting of the Ethics Committee No. 2 dated 10/14/2022).

Contribution of the authors:
Nikishina V.B. — the concept and design of the study, writing the text, editing, approval of the final version of the article;
Petrash E.A. — writing the text, editing, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article;
Starodumova A.B. — collection and processing of material, statistical data processing;
Tropnikov O.L. — concept and design of the study, editing.

Acknowledgment. The study had no sponsorship.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: June 7, 2024 / Accepted: December 11, 2024 / Published: April 30, 2025

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