Occupational stress and working climate profiles of medical professionals and auxiliary personnel : ten years after reunification

In a large survey of medical practitioners and their auxiliary personnel, significant differences were observed in the job stress profiles of individuals from the new (former East Germany) and old Federal States (former West Germany). Self-reported occupational stress was perceived higher among those from the new vs old Federal States, and this was particularly pronounced for those States with their borders in close proximity to the former West Germany. Satisfaction at work was no different for the new and old Federal States, although the evaluation of working climate was deemed more favourable in the newer Federal States. Moreover, the new Federal States were more inclined to adopt low risk-taking and more safety-oriented attitudes than their counterparts in the older Federal States. Conversely, there were no significant differences in accident rate (either at work or whilst driving) between the two categories (new vs old Federal States). Overall, the study shows that subjective experiences of psychological and social processes in the working context remain pronounced 10 years after reunification.