The Effect of Occupational Stress on the Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers: Basis for Stress Management Interventions

Abstract

Stress is a popular topic these days. In the workplace, stress is something that almost every worker experiences. It is not simply the notion of physical labor but also the wear and tear of work on a person’s mental health. Long-term and extreme occupational stress can be a severe threat to the psychological well-being of an employee. The growing stress among healthcare workers prompted the researcher to become engaged, sensitive, and concerned about the topic’s significance. Hence, the researcher made a competent effort to determine the effect of occupational stress on the psychological well-being of healthcare workers in General Santos City. The respondents were chosen from the Tertiary Hospitals of General Santos using convenience sampling given that the healthcare workers work in a hectic and demanding environment. Data were gathered through a survey questionnaire disseminated using a link to a Google form. Results revealed that healthcare workers have average levels of occupational stress and moderate levels of psychological well-being. The level of occupational stress of healthcare workers significantly influences their psychological well-being. Conclusively, the findings revealed a significant relationship between occupational stress and psychological well-being. A moderate positive correlation between these variables suggests that as occupational stress increases, the adverse effect on psychological well-being among healthcare workers of General Santos City tends to increase as well. Since the relationship is moderate, it means that while there is a positive relationship between occupational stress and psychological well-being by 35.8%, other factors by 64.2% may also influence the psychological well-being of healthcare workers. Based on the findings, a ‘primary-organizational’ and ‘secondary-organizational’ level of stress management intervention has been crafted for the healthcare workers of General Santos City.