Percieved occupational stress and its influences on the mental health of radiography and medical laboratory science lecturers in tertiary institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The workplace environment has been severely affected by globalization and the global financial crisis, leading to an increase in demand as well as stress and related problems. This study was designed to assess effects of perceived occupational stress on the mental health of radiography and medical laboratory science lecturers in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, as well as to determine relationships between levels of occupational stress on mental health and the socio-demographic variables of the lecturers. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey design was adopted to ascertain the aims of this study among 65 lecturers of the aforementioned departments. Obtained data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Results: Out of 65 respondents, 38(58.46%) were males while females accounted for 27(41.54%). Majority 36(55.38%) of the participants were lecturers from radiography department and large proportion 39(65%) of the respondents were within the age of 38-47 years. All (n=16, 100%) the respondents were full-time lecturers. Most 26(40%) of the respondents had master’s degree. Greater number 30(46.15%) had 3-8years working experiences. Majority of the lecturers from both departments reportedly felt emotionally drained from work sometimes, which is 28(96.55%) and 22(61.11%) for MLS and Radiography respectively. Twenty three (63.88%) of the radiography (RAD) lectures reported to had found themselves getting upset by quite trivial/little things sometimes, while in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS), 16(55.17%) of the lecturers sometimes gets upset by quite trivial things. Furthermore, the majorities of the lecturers from both departments sometimes felt pressure to beat deadlines, which is 25(86.21%) and 21(58.33%) for MLS and Radiography respectively. There were no statistically significant relationships between impact of occupational stress on the mental health of MLS lecturers and their socio-demographic variables such as gender (χ2 = 3.000, df= 2, p= 0.33), Age (χ2 = 6.000, df=3, p= 0.11), and years of experience (χ2 = 3.333, df=3, p= 0.34). There were no statistically significant relationships between impact of occupational stress on the mental health of Radiography lecturers and their socio-demographic variables such as gender(χ2 = 5.312, df= 6, p= 0.38), Age (χ2 = 11.000, df=15, p= 0.75), and years of experience (χ2 = 7.000, df=5, p= 0.22).Conclusion: There was mild level of impact of occupational stress on the mental health of lecturers from the departments of interest. The impact of occupational stress on the mental health of Radiography and MLS lecturers by gender, years of experience, age and level of education did not vary within the population of study. More lecturers should be employed to meet up the recommended students to lecturer’s ratio so as to reduce the level of perceived mental stress among the lecturers.