Occupational stress level and socio-demographic profiles of psychiatric residents at the national center for mental health

Objectives: This study determines the presence and level of occupational stress among medical residents training in the field of psychiatry at the National Center for Mental Health and their socio-demographic profiles. Methods: It is a descriptive study conducted in June 2003 among 18 psychiatric residents using the Occupational Stress Assessment as a tool to measure their individual stress levels in terms of factors in the work place such as empowerment, organizational irrationality, job complexity, work support environment and management exposure. Other factors outside the work place include home support, negative outcome and relaxation potential. Consequently, their socio-demographic characteristics were also determined. Results: A total of eighteen residents, eight males (44%) and ten females (56%) responded. It revealed that although stress is existent, factors like high work support and exposure management assisted the participants in coping. In addition, it revealed that residents scaled the same level in certain factors like empowerment, exposure management and relaxation potentials. In totality, although burnout syndrome was not evident at this point in time, most residents scored in the medium level in many scales indicative of possible opportunity for improvement. Conclusion: Despite stressors encountered during residency training in psychiatry, factors such as support at work place and at home, empowerment and relaxation potential lowered the level of stress among the trainees.

A survey on mental hospital staff experience on patient violence

This survey attempts to determine the proportion of hospital staff who experience violence from patients at the National Center for Mental Health, a government psychiatric center in the Philippines. It also aims to describe the nature and manner of violence, and the reactions of the staff to patient violence. Of 104 hospital staff included in the study, 64.4 percent experienced being assaulted by patients in 1998. Majority experienced physical and verbal assault either singly or in combination, on one or more occasions. The most common experience from patients was verbal assault such as shouting invectives or curses. Most of the assault incidents occurred in the morning. Staff characteristics such as gender, position, and length of hospital service were associated with having been assaulted. Majority of the hospital staff assaulted by the patients reportedly remained calm and kept their composure during the incident.