Perception Of Stress and Illness Among Nurses in Psychiatry

Homeostasis is important for maintaining balance and normal functioning of the organism. Allostatic mechanisms further help to establish this balance. If the body is under stress for a longer period, a complex condition in the body called allostatic load occurs. If such a load lasts longer, the risk of developing diseases increases significantly. This study was conducted anonymously with the aim of determining the health status of male and female nurses in the Neuropsychiatric hospital “Dr. Ivan Barbot” in Popovača and their exposure to everyday stressors in the workplace. The main purpose was to examine the relationship between stress and the health status of nurses in relation to gender, age, and seniority. A total of 142 nurses participated. The Health Questionnaire and Workplace Stress Questionnaire were used. The results showed that the most common diseases nurses suffer from are cardiovascular diseases, thyroid diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and allergies. Women showed higher sensitivity to stress than men. The most common stressors faced by nurses in the workplace are inadequate personal income, inadequate workspace and material resources for work, lack of staff, daily contingencies, 24-hour responsibility, and administrative work. This study found an association between age and, consequently, work experience with the likelihood of illness, although both the healthy and the sick perceive equal levels of stress. One disadvantage of this study is that it covers a large area and deals with general issues, but it can certainly be a starting point for further research. Many questions remain open, which means there is a need for further research and study of the link between stress and illness.