Working condition and stress among staff members of the Department of Dietetics and Diet Therapy, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

Abstract

Background : Occupational stress was unavoidable in work life. The staff members can work more effectively. In addition to development of knowledge and abilities, the staff should have good physical and mental health. If the staff members have stress, and yet they and cannot cope with the situation, this condition may affect them and the organization.

Objective : To study the relationship between the working condition and stress among staffs members of the Department of Dietetics and Diet Therapy, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

Design : A cross – sectional descriptive study.

Setting : The Department of Dietetics and Diet Therapy, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

Materials and Methods : The data were collected from 190 staff members of the Department of Dietetics and Diet Therapy, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The research instruments were Demographic data questionnaire, working data questionnaire, and occupational stress and burnout questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and chi-square test.

Results : The study showed that the prevalence of stress at work and burnout were 12.1% and 4.7 %, respectively. Stress at work was significantly and positively associated with education level, income, number of years of work, working position, stuffiness, uncomfortable and sound (p <0.001), coffee drinking, temperature (p < 0.01), family obligations, health checking, alcohol drinking, diseases, injury or illness, shift of work, difficulty of task assignment (work itself and role),(p <0.05), whereas there was a significant inverse association with interesting issues such as (relationship with supervisor), strategic direction (work itself and role), performance appraisal (advancement and job security), medical expenses, overtime payment, salary raise, appropriate salary for the position and workload (welfare and reward), attention of high-level supervisors in solving their problems, human resource management, agreement with policies, communication, and promotion (policy and administration) (p <0.001), sleep, recognition, work assignment (supervisor relationships), understanding of role and function (work itself and role)(p <0.01), exercise, light, supervisor support, comments (supervisor relationships), asking for help (relationship with co-workers), and possibility of career progression (advancement and job security) (p <0.05).

Conclusion : The study give information for planning and defining policy working for human resource management in primary mental health.