Articles

Stressors among Healthcare Workers during Covid-19 Era at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Awka Anambra State Nigeria

/in /by

The research on stress, its effect, sources and management cannot be over emphasized. The purpose of the study is to determine the stressors among healthcare workers at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka. Six research questions were posited and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The cross sectional survey research design was used for the study. The multi stage sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 267 out of 772 Healthcare workers (HCWs). The instrument for data collection was a researcher’s designed questionnaire. The instrument was subjected to reliability test using the pilot test method. The data collected were analyzed using frequency and percentages for research questions (1-6) while the null hypotheses were tested using Chi – square statistics. The result revealed ten  stressors to healthcare workers during covid-19 era which were demanding workload which was endorsed by 96.2% of the respondents, Time pressure (84.5%), sleep deprivation (66.8%), role ambiguity and conflicts (54.3%), home/work interconnection (71.3%), emotional exhaustion (87.5%), limited break periods (78.5), fear of exposure to infection (95.8%), physical and psychological abuse (56.2%), and concerns about children not being taken care of properly when you are away (60.8%). Based on the findings and conclusions, the researcher recommended among other things that the demanding workload of the healthcare professionals can be reduced by employing more workers hereby reducing stress. Also, Annual leave, maternity leave, casual leave and break periods amidst work, etc should not be denied any job category in the healthcare system to avoid break down in health of the HCWs.

Stressors, Stress Response and Coping Among Rural School Teachers With and Without Hypertension

/in /by

The aim was to study the difference in stressors experienced, level of stress and coping used between individuals with and without hypertension among rural government school teachers. The sample consisted of both men and women working in rural government schools, married (with at least one child), and aged between 30 to 35 years, with work experience of at least 5 years. A matched group design in terms of age, number of years of experience, gender, socioeconomic status, salary, number of working members working in the family was considered for the study. Over all 30 each of teachers with and without hypertension consuming medication for at least 3 years and below cut off point on General health questionnaire and gave consent to be part of the study were selected for the study. All these individuals were administered Personal Stress Source Inventory, Stress Response Checklist and Coping styles inventory. The results were analysed using t test to study significance of difference in the means of the stressors, stress response and coping used by individual with and without hypertension. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in stressors experienced between the groups, where as there was significant difference in level of stress and coping used. The group with hypertension had significantly higher level of stress response and significantly less use of coping methods indicating that it is the response to stressors and coping methods used that could be related to hypertension than the number of stressors faced by the individual, indirectly indicating that personality and the responses are integral part of disease experienced.