Managing Occupational Stress: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Stress is a condition of strain that has a direct bearing on emotions, thought process and physical conditions of a person. Stress can be defined as “A dynamic activity wherein an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint or demand”. Occupational stress has become a vital part of each and every employee’s life. Stress not only affects the physical, psychological and financial balances of an employee but also the employers as well. One of the predominant reasons for increase in occupational stress levels has been global competition and economic conditions that have caused reduction in workforce, leading to leaner organisations almost everywhere in the world. Employees are under pressure to comply with increased demands in terms of both quality and quantity. The employees suffer from burnout, stress, anxiety, low morale, depression, health problems and, in some extreme cases, even stigma associated with mental illness. Job stress could arise out of task and role ambiguity, role conflict (RC), and self-role incongruence. This paper tries to explore the occupational stress in doctors. The health care occupation have long been known to be highly stressful and associated with higher rates of psychological distress than many other occupations. The paper highlights and traces the general broad outline of the causes of stress in doctors, which was analysed through primary data collection and some urgent strategic planning needed to combat the stress levels and its effects on the health of doctors and its related consequences on their patients. It is a well-known fact that job stress now, more than ever, poses a threat to the health of workers and the health of the organisation, in this case, health of doctors and the health and well-being of the patients as well, thus increasing the concern further.