Work stress and stress reduction behaviors of pharmaceutical sale representatives of international pharmaceutical company in Bangkok.

Abstract

Background : The stress survey study in Thai people in 2011 by the Department of Mental Health reported that 9.2 % of Thai people had high stress level; the population with highest stress were in Bangkok, 13.1%. Mainly stressful events or problems are caused by occupational issues.

Objective : To study work’s stress and behavior medical representatives employed to cope with stress, factors related to work stress and stress reducing behavior.

Design : This research is a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Setting : Pharmaceutical companies.

Materials and Methods : Subject were 330 medical representatives, working in multinational companies in Bangkok ≥ 6 months; their aged ≥ 18 years; male and female were recruited to answer: 1) questionnaire on personal information; 2) stressful feeling are factors related to medical representatives’ job assessment; and 3) stress reducing behavior assessment.

Results : The study resulted as follows: stressful feeling factors relating medical representative job assessment found that most of people scored between 47.87 - 65.41. Assessment of stress reducing behavior reported that a study in the body dimension had highest mean score 3.08 and negative stress reducing behavior dimension had lowest mean score 1.31. The level of stress was associated with stress reducing behaviors in all dimensions.

Conclusion : It is concluded that about 2/3 of medical representative had medium level of job-related stress, 70.3%. Whereas overall stress reducing behavior – body, mind, job’s role and responsibility were in medium level, stress reducing behavior was in low level.