Work Stress and Hospital Doctors: a comparative study

Abstract

The findings indicate a direct link between the number of hours worked and stress levels, although the number of hours worked was positively related to the perceived availability of social support. Junior hospital doctors used social support as a coping strategy significantly more often than senior hospital doctors, with both perceiving the hospital environment as a more effective source of social support than the home environment. Despite having access to higher levels of effective social support, junior hospital doctors faced significantly greater sources of stress and poorer mental health than their senior counterparts.