Determinants of Stress Coping Strategies of Doctors in Poland's Silesian Voivodeship

BACKGROUND Stress is an intrinsic aspect of the medical field. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing stress coping strategies among physicians in Poland's Silesian Voivodeship (region), considering variables such as sex, type of specialization, personality type, and psychophysical well-being. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved 655 Polish physicians and used various research instruments, including the Mini COPE-Coping Inventory, the Resiliency Assessment Scale, the Framingham Type A Scale, and the Wellbeing Scale. A multivariate data analysis model helped identify determinants of the stress coping strategies used by these doctors. RESULTS Findings indicated that higher resilience levels, particularly among women, were associated with the use of problem-oriented strategies, such as planning, active coping, and acceptance. Emotion-focused behaviors, religious engagement, and seeking emotional and instrumental support were notably linked to women in non-surgical specializations. In contrast, behavioral disengagement, self-blame, denial, and substance use correlated with lower resilience and well-being levels and were more common among men. The demonstrated links between determining factors, especially resilience levels and coping with stress can influence the design of targeted training modules on mental resilience in medical education or the creation of specialized support programs for at-risk subgroups. CONCLUSIONS Stress coping strategies used among Polish doctors in Poland's Silesian region are influenced by resilience, sex, specialization, and psychophysical well-being. Adaptive coping strategies are more prevalent among individuals with higher resilience, particularly women with non-surgical specialties. Conversely, maladaptive strategies are mainly associated with men experiencing lower well-being and resilience levels.