Evaluation of fear of violence and work-releated strain among research assistant physicians at Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine

Violence against healthcare workers remains an important and increasingly impactful issue. Employees who experience violence while practicing their profession are adversely affected physically, socially, and psychologically. Employees who overcome the initial effects of violence may subsequently have to deal with problems such as stress, depression, loss of motivation, and alcohol problems. In addition to these problems, they also develop a fear of future violent events. The aim of this study is to determine the fear ofviolence and work-related strain levels among research assistant physicians at Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine and to reveal their relationship with experiences of violence. In this cross-sectional, analytical study, it was aimed to reach the entire population. 262 research assistant physicians were included in the study. Participants were administered a 25-item questionnaire form consisting of descriptive characteristics, the Fear ofViolence Scale, and the Work-Related Strain Scale. The mean age of the participants was 30.0 ± 5.2, and 62.6% were women. 74.8% of the research group had previously experienced violence in their professional lives. It was observed that the fear ofviolence was significantly higher in those who had previously experienced violence, those who were dissatisfied with their profession, working conditions, pre-graduation education, and monthly income. It was found that the fear of violence was significantly lower in physicians working in basic sciences compared to other physicians. Work-related strain was significantly higher in those who had previously experienced violence, in physicians who stated that the perpetrator was female in the last violent event they experienced, in those who witnessed violence against other healthcare workers, in those who were dissatisfied with their profession, working conditions, pre-graduation education, and monthly income, and in those who were considering changing their profession and department. A significant correlation was found between fear of violence and work-related strain. As a result, fear of violence and work-related strain negatively affect physicians and the continuity of health care services. Creating a safe working environment and improving working conditions for physicians is of great importance. Keywords: Violence, physicians, fear of violence, work-related strain