WORK-RELATED STRESS FACTORS AND COPING BEHAVIOUR AMONG PNEUMOLOGISTS

Ruxandra-Mioara Râjnoveanu^{1, 2}, Armand-Gabriel Râjnoveanu^{3, *}, Sabina Antonela Antoniu⁴, Doina Adina Todea^{1, 2}, Milena Adina Man^{1, 2}, Lavinia Davidescu⁵, Mădălina Văleanu⁶, Andrada-Timea Groza¹, Victoria Georgiana Sfirlea², Ruxandra Ulmeanu^{7, 8}

¹Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pneumology Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania - ²Leon Daniello Pneumophtysiology Clinical Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania - ³Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Occupational Medicine Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania - ⁴Grigore T Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Nursing and Palliative Care Department, Iași, Romania - ⁵Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pneumology Department, University of Oradea, Romania - ⁶Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medical Informatics and Biostatistics Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania - ⁷Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pneumology Department, University of Oradea, Romania - ⁸Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumology, Bucharest, Romania

Objective: Doctors are exposed to different work-related factors and are candidates to experience burnout. The aim of the present study was to investigate the perceived stress among pulmonologists in comparison with other medical specialties. 

Methods: 405 Romanian physicians were included, divided in two groups - pulmonologists and other specialties. The participants were asked to complete a four-section questionnaire. Chi-Square was used for data analysis. Likert Scale was also used to quantify the answers and Kendall coefficient was calculated for statistically significant data. Most of participants (29.1%) were aged between 40-50 years. 

Results: Compared to other specialties, pulmonology doctors considered as an important stress factors: the excessive bureaucracy (p=0.003) odds ratio (OR)=2.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-3.98), an increased number of appointments per day, physical or psychological overload (p=0.03) OR=1.58 (95% CI 1.04-2.38) and difficult co-workers (p=0.013) OR=1.86 (95% CI 1.14-3.04). In contrast to pneumologist, other physicians considered that lack of professional accomplishment (p=0.008) OR=0.47 (95% CI 0.26-0.83) and being unable to be updated regarding the latest medical research or guidelines (p<0.001) OR=0.34 (95% CI 0.2-0.58), mostly influence their stress levels. As coping activities to reduce stress, a statistically significant number of pulmonologists (p=0.025) prefer food and wine tasting OR=1.9 (95% CI 1.08-3.36), while other physicians (p=0.006) prefer to do a non-medical writing in their spare time OR=0.25 (95% CI 0.1-0.73). 

Conclusion: No gender differences were found between the two groups. In conclusion, this study identified that there are differences between pulmonologists and other physicians, regarding job-related aspects, some stress factors, and coping mechanisms.