Background: Healthcare professionals face high levels of stress and burnout due to the demanding nature of their work. Chronic stress in healthcare settings can lead to severe consequences, including decreased job satisfaction, increased medical errors, and reduced patient care quality.
Objective: This study aims to examine the prevalence of workplace stress and burnout among healthcare professionals, identify key contributing factors, and assess the effectiveness of coping mechanisms.
Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted at Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College and LSK Hospital, Kishanganj, Bihar, over a period of eight months. A total of 78 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, participated in the study. Data were collected using standardized self-administered questionnaires, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were applied to determine significant associations among study variables.
Results: The findings indicate that 74.36% of respondents experienced moderate to high stress levels, with emotional exhaustion (mean = 4.5 ± 0.7) being the most prevalent burnout component. Long working hours (mean = 4.2 ± 0.8) and high patient load (mean = 4.0 ± 0.9) were identified as the primary stressors. The chi-square test showed no significant association between stress levels and professional roles (p = 0.645), whereas ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in burnout subscales among different professional groups (p < 0.001). Social support (51.28%) was the most frequently used coping mechanism, followed by physical activity (32.05%) and mindfulness (16.67%), all of which were significantly associated with lower burnout scores (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Workplace stress and burnout among healthcare professionals remain a critical issue, primarily driven by long working hours, high patient loads, and lack of institutional support. Effective coping strategies, including social support and structured wellness programs, are necessary to mitigate stress and improve professional well-being. Institutional interventions should focus on workload redistribution, mental health support, and policy reforms to enhance job satisfaction and healthcare delivery quality. Future research should explore longitudinal assessments to evaluate long-term burnout trends and intervention effectiveness.