The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Occupational Stress in Healthcare Providers in Saudi Arabia

Occupational stress is a negative physical and emotional response to job requirements, which might be caused by various factors that can harm the emotional and physical well-being of the employee. We aimed to investigate the factors and conditions associated with occupational stress.

The study was cross-sectional, conducted with the Perceived Stress Scale ten item version.

The majority of the participants reported moderate stress 223 (71%) and a small proportion (n=38, 12.2%) a high stress level. Several factors associated with higher risk of stress level for example being single were associated with higher risk of stress level in 135 (74.6%), moderate and high stress level was also reported in the group without enough income, 96 (75%) and 20 (15.6%), respectively.

A group of sociodemographic factors were consistently associated with occupational stress, including gender, income, comorbidity and marital status. However, some factors remained complex and multifaceted.

It is important to focus on reducing stress levels for all employees, regardless of their work experience or income. To prevent losing control of the healthcare worker's stress and to prevent an escalation to anxiety or depression, stress-management programs are necessary, specifically for those who are experiencing high stress levels.