Pre-Health Professional Perceptions: Should a Formal Stress Relief Program Be Implemented in the Workplace?

Abstract

Stress, depression, and burnout are a burden on employees and the health care system. These adverse mental states are interlinked, with burnout being a medical condition resulting from the unsuccessful management of chronic stress. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of pre-health student self-care mechanisms, stress coping strategies, and preferences for on-the-job stress relief. This was a convenience sample survey of three pre-health programs with a total of 60 subject responses. The primary endpoint was whether the pre-health students felt they wanted a formal stress relief program to be implemented at work in their future career. Secondary outcomes included stress coping strategies, self-care mechanisms, and barriers to good work–life balance. On a 5-point Likert scale (5 being very important), the mean score for a formal stress relief program was 3.6 ± 1.2, with 60% of the students selecting a score ≥4. Students scored “break rooms/relaxation rooms,” “time with family and/or friends,” and “being on-call too often” the highest in terms of perceived importance for stress coping, self-care, and as a barrier to work–life balance, respectively. Health care employers should consider implementing a formal stress relief program on-site with consideration for specific pre-health student stress coping and self-care strategies. This type of program has the potential to reduce employee stress and the negative consequences on the employee and health care system.