Paulina Kwarta1, Joanna Pietrzak2, Dawid Miśkowiec3, Iwona Stelmach1, Paweł Górski4, Piotr Kuna5, Adam Antczak6, Tadeusz Pietras7. 1. Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Lodz, Poland: Department of Pediatrics and Allergy. 2. Copernicus Memorial Hospital in Lodz, Poland: Rheumatology Department. 3. Medical University of Lodz, Poland: Department of Cardiology. 4. Medical University of Lodz, Poland: Department of Pneumology and Allergology, Institute of Internal Medicine. 5. Medical University of Lodz, Poland: Department of Internal Diseases, Asthma and Allergy; 6. Medical University of Lodz, Poland: Department of General Pulmonology and Oncology. 7. Medical University of Lodz, Poland: Department of Clinical Pharmacology.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: The stress of being a doctor and being responsible for own decisions is one of the most intense feelings the doctors have to cope with. The stress coping styles are determined by the factors dependent on psychological variables such as personality. AIM: The aim of study was to assess the relation between personality traits and stress coping among physicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 50 physicians (males n=25; 50%) employed in Norbert Barlicki Memorial Medical University Teaching Hospital No 1 in Lodz. The stress coping styles were assessed using Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, whereas the tool used for personality assessment was NEO Five Factor Inventory of Personality. RESULTS: Task-oriented coping (TOC) was the predominant stress coping style among physicians (mean sten value 6.7±2.0; high sten scores - 8-10 in 38%). Among all dimensions of the doctors' personality, extraversion predominated significantly (mean sten value 9.7±0.7). Neuroticism correlated positively with emotional oriented coping (EOC) (r=0.43). Extraversion influenced more infrequent adoption of EOC by males (r=-0.43) and older subjects (≥44years) (r=-0.52). Conscientiousness influenced more frequent adoption of TOC by females (r=0.46). Both the doctors' age (r=-0.49 p<0.05)), and duration of employment (r=-0.49 p<0.05)) significantly correlated negatively with AOC. The doctors' gender did not affect their stress coping styles. CONCLUSIONS: Task oriented coping was the dominant stress coping style among physicians. High levels of neuroticism correlated positively, and those of extraversion negatively with the adoption of emotional oriented coping with stress. The tendency to choose the avoidance oriented coping decreases with the physicians' age and duration of employment.
UNLABELLED: The stress of being a doctor and being responsible for own decisions is one of the most intense feelings the doctors have to cope with. The stress coping styles are determined by the factors dependent on psychological variables such as personality. AIM: The aim of study was to assess the relation between personality traits and stress coping among physicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 50 physicians (males n=25; 50%) employed in Norbert Barlicki Memorial Medical University Teaching Hospital No 1 in Lodz. The stress coping styles were assessed using Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, whereas the tool used for personality assessment was NEO Five Factor Inventory of Personality. RESULTS: Task-oriented coping (TOC) was the predominant stress coping style among physicians (mean sten value 6.7±2.0; high sten scores - 8-10 in 38%). Among all dimensions of the doctors' personality, extraversion predominated significantly (mean sten value 9.7±0.7). Neuroticism correlated positively with emotional oriented coping (EOC) (r=0.43). Extraversion influenced more infrequent adoption of EOC by males (r=-0.43) and older subjects (≥44years) (r=-0.52). Conscientiousness influenced more frequent adoption of TOC by females (r=0.46). Both the doctors' age (r=-0.49 p<0.05)), and duration of employment (r=-0.49 p<0.05)) significantly correlated negatively with AOC. The doctors' gender did not affect their stress coping styles. CONCLUSIONS: Task oriented coping was the dominant stress coping style among physicians. High levels of neuroticism correlated positively, and those of extraversion negatively with the adoption of emotional oriented coping with stress. The tendency to choose the avoidance oriented coping decreases with the physicians' age and duration of employment.
Authors: Michelle D Lall; Theodore J Gaeta; Arlene S Chung; Sneha A Chinai; Manish Garg; Abbas Husain; Cara Kanter; Sorabh Khandelwal; Caitlin S Rublee; Ramin R Tabatabai; James Kimo Takayesu; Mohammad Zaher; Nadine T Himelfarb Journal: West J Emerg Med Date: 2019-02-28