Stress anxiety burn-out and coping mechanisms in healthcare professionals

Abstract

Stress Anxiety Burnout and a lack of coping are consistent difficulties faced by healthcare professionals. This study examined stress, anxiety, burnout and coping mechanisms in relation to demographic variables: age, gender, occupation, department, and duration in occupation in department. Measures included the Perceived Stress Scale , the State Anxiety Inventory, the Maslach Burnout Inventory –Human Services Survey, and the Brief COPE Inventory. A correlational design was used through a snow-ball sampling method in a major Dublin teaching hospital. Of the 275 questionnaires distributed, 130 were completed for analyses. Significant results were found in age, occupation, duration in occupation and department, in depersonalization subscale on the MBI-HSS, and denial, humour, venting and religious coping subscales from the BCI. Enhanced coping mechanisms would enable healthcare professionals to reduce levels of burnout.