The Effect of Occupational Stress on the Psychological Well-being of Healthcare Workers: Basis for Stress Management

Abstract

Stress in the workplace is something that almost every worker experiences. It is not simply the notion of physical labor but also the wear and tear of work on a person's mental health. Long-term and extreme occupational stress can be a severe threat to the psychological well-being of an employee. This research aimed to investigate the effect of occupational stress on the psychological well-being of healthcare workers in General Santos City, Philippines. A simple random sampling method was applied to select respondents from the city's Tertiary Hospitals, and data were gathered using a survey questionnaire. The results revealed that healthcare workers experienced average levels of occupational stress and moderate levels of psychological well-being. Occupational stress significantly influenced psychological well-being, with a moderate positive correlation of 35.8%. This correlation suggests that as occupational stress increases, psychological well-being also tends to increase. However, additional factors contribute to psychological well-being, accounting for 64.2% of the variance. In light of the findings, a "primary-and-secondary-organizational" level of stress management intervention has been developed for the General Santos City, Philippines healthcare staff.