Occupational stress and coping methods among Ministry of Health dentists in Alexandria

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out on 443 dentists [197 males and 246 females]. The results of the study revealed that, stressors related to occupational risks, especially fear of transmission of infection from patients, were the most frequently reported items to be stressful by the study groups. Stressors related to idealism came second with striving for technical perfection being the most stressful item for all study groups. Taxes [business management and economic stressors] constituted a very important item of stress for dentists with private practice. On the other hand, staff related stressors ranked last for all study groups. The results also revealed no significant association between stress level and any of the independent variables investigated in the present study; namely, sex, having a private practice and duration of experience. Among the various stress coping methods suggested, leaving problems at office, sports and physical exercise and activities with family were the most frequently reported methods to be employed by the interviewed dentists to cope with job stress