Work-Related Stress Among Healthcare Providers of Various Sectors in Peninsular Malaysia

Objectives: Occupational stress among healthcare workers is an important concern due to its crucial contribution in attaining maximum job output and optimal quality of working life. Our study aims to compare job stress levels of healthcare employees based on 1) sector, 2) category and 3) specialisation. Methods: Stress severity and frequency were evaluated using the 9-point scale Job Stress Survey (Job Stress, Job Pressure, Lack of Support). A crosssectional sample of 223 healthcare providers were enrolled from seven health institutions in Peninsular Malaysia (East Coast = 55%; mean age = 30 years; female = 78.9%; Results: No significant difference was found between government and private sector workers. Supportive staff reported significantly higher stress frequency in contrast to professionals who demonstrated significantly higher stress severity in all dimensions (p .05). Research-based professionals experienced significantly worse stress frequency in all components compared to professional practitioners (p Conclusion: Because stress levels are affected by job category and specialisation, flexible strategies to ensure employees’ job productivity, contentment and personal well-being should be implemented.