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conferenceseries
.com
Volume 5, Issue 3 (Suppl)
Occup Med Health Aff, an open access journal
ISSN:2329-6879
Occupational Health-2017
September 13-14, 2017
.
September 13-14, 2017 | Dallas, USA
Occupational Health & Safety
6
th
International Conference and Exhibition on
Occup Med Health Aff 2017, 5:3 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2329-6879-C1-035
Prevalence and correlates of work stress among nurses working in psychiatric inward facilities, in
Colombo district, Sri Lanka
Jeewaranga Gunasekera
and
I K Suraweera
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka
Statement of the Problem:
Work stress among nurses in psychiatric care is considered as an important occupational health problem
due to the nature of the services provided. However, studies onwork stress in this study group are scarce in Sri Lanka. An understanding
of such factors could greatly help in designing policies related to mental health and occupational health.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation:
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses working in the three
in-ward psychiatric facilities in capital Colombo District namely, National Institute of Mental Health, National Hospital of Sri Lanka
and Colombo South Teaching Hospital. The entire population (N=345) was given a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire
composed of two parts; validated Job Content Questionnaire and questionnaire on correlates. Prevalence of work stress was measured
using two indices as described by Karasek in the dynamic job strain model, namely; High Job Strain (HJS) and Iso-strain (IS).
Findings:
The response rate was 89.5% (N=309). Prevalence of HJS and IS was 37.2% and 21.4% respectively. Factors significantly
associated with HJS were; being single (OR=1.84, 95% CI=1.15-2.95), working more than 48 hours weekly (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.05-
2.78), violence by patients (OR=3.45, 95% CI=1.81-6.57), verbal abuse by patients (OR=3.11, 95% CI=1.80-5.39), mental health
concerns (OR=2.68, 95% CI=1.595-4.40), stigma (OR=2.21, 95% CI=1.24-3.94), lack of assistance at work (OR=4.56, 95% CI=1.68-
12.27), difficulty in obtaining leave (OR=2.98, 95% CI=1.48-6.00), inadequate welfare facilities (OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.01-2.59) and
poor work recognition (OR=2.89, 95% CI=1.68-4.96).
Conclusion & Significance:
The prevalence of HJS was significant among nurses. It was comparatively higher than the prevalence
values obtained among other occupations. More than ten factors were identified as increasing the risk of High Job Strain where Iso-
strain was associated with five factors. Some factors that are associated with HJS were not associated with IS indicating that positive
social support could counter the negative impacts of work stress. Administrative programmes to prevent and reduce work stress
among nurses are to be studied in detail.
janjeewa@gmail.com