Benbow S M, Jolley D
Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust, UK.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 1997 Sep;12(9):879-82. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(199709)12:9<879::aid-gps654>3.0.co;2-r.
To examine the main sources of stress for practising old age psychiatrists.
Postal survey.
Old age psychiatry services in England and Wales.
Old age psychiatrists on the list held by the Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Number and nature of stresses identified by respondents.
One hundred and thirty-eight old age psychiatrists identified a mean of 5.1 stresses per respondent, which fell into seven broad categories: changes within the health service, community care changes, personal, management-related, resource-related, related to time pressures, overwork and others.
Unavoidable stresses were rarely listed. Most were related to work overload and organizational structure and climate. More research is needed on stress in other areas of psychiatry, ways to minimize/prevent stress and how to optimize the balance between work and home life.
