Studio trasversale sulle variabili di stress lavoro-correlato nei medici in formazione specialistica del maggiore Policlinico Universitario della Sicilia

Background: Among health care workers (HCWs), assessment and prevention of work-related stress in the workplace is one of the main goal. Post-graduate medical residents (MRs) are a group of HCWs comparable to medical doctors in terms of occupational exposure and of work-related stress syndromes occurrence.Objectives: To assess the risk of the exposition to work-related stress among MRs attending the major University Hospital of Sicily.Methods: Cross-sectional survey through an anonymous and self-administered questionnaire.Results: 45% of clinical MRs and 37% of surgical MRs have access to compensatory rest days against 92% of MRs of the services area (p <0.001). A work attendance detection system for MRs is available in 80% of the postgraduate medical schools of the services area, in 60% of the clinical postgraduate schools and in 50% of the surgical postgraduate schools (p <0.001). MRs of postgraduate surgical schools declare to have access to work breaks (41%) with less frequency compared to clinical (60%) and services MRs (74%) (p <0.001). Both clinical (47%) and surgical MRs (47%) result to be more exposed to work-related stress than MRs of the services area (27%) (p <0.001).Conclusions: The survey documents an exposure excess of work-related stress for all the considered variables in MRs of surgical area. It is strongly suggested to provide for specific training programs aimed to manage the MRs risk exposure to work-related stress, focusing both on the workers and the work environment.