Perceived stress, psychological well-being, work-life balance among healthcare professionals: An evaluation of influencing factors

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate healthcare professionals' perceived stress, psychological well-being, and work-life balance levels, as well as the factors affecting these variables. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted at Malatya İnönü University Turgut Özal Medical Center. The population consisted of approximately 3,800 healthcare workers employed at the hospital. Based on the power analysis, a minimum sample size of 349 was calculated, and 413 healthcare workers were included in the study. The data collection tools used were a sociodemographic information form, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Work-Life Balance Scale. The Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis, and Spearman correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: A significant positive correlation was found between psychological well-being and work-life balance, while significant negative correlation was observed between perceived stress and both psychological well-being and work-life balance (p<0.05). An increase in weekly working hours was associated with a decrease in psychological well-being and work-life balance scores and an increase in stress levels. Significant differences were observed between occupational groups in terms of psychological well-being and work-life balance; nurses were found to experience a greater negative impact of work on their personal lives, while assistant physicians were found to have higher levels of psychological well-being. Significant differences were found in some scale scores according to gender, income status, education level, and work unit, while no significant differences were found in psychological well-being and work-life balance total scores according to tobacco and alcohol use. Conclusion: It has been found that increased perceived stress among healthcare professionals is associated with decreased psychological well-being and work-life balance. Working hours and certain sociodemographic characteristics appear to influence these variables. These findings highlight the importance of regulations aimed at supporting the psychosocial well-being of healthcare professionals.