Determinants of Occupational Stress among Government Doctors: Evidence from Colombo District in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Occupational stress among the government doctors in Sri Lanka, especially in Colombo District, has been increasingly becoming a problem. Though the problem is topical and justified, there is lack of empirical research in the context of health care sector in Sri Lanka. This study aimed at investigating the major causes of occupational stress namely, the role of job roles and responsibilities, psychosocial factors, family commitment, and organisational culture. The study adopts a quantitative research method by incorporating the convenience sampling through a structured questionnaire comprising 220 government physicians in Colombo District. Analysis of data was performed with the help of the SPSS which used the analytical tools- descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, ANOVA and multiple regression. The findings showed that the four independent variables are statistically significant related to occupational stress. Among them, job responsibilities, duties and psychosocial factors were found to have the greatest influence, followed by organisational culture and family obligation, which were found significantly influential particularly in terms of work-life balance and emotional well-being. The research is relevant in that there is minimal research on the topic of occupational stress in South Asian healthcare, especially in the government machinery. These results demonstrate that institutional reforms, including efficient allocation of workload, better psychosocial support systems, and an inclusive and supportive organisational culture, are important. To provide more statistical support, the variance explained (R2 ) could be mentioned in future studies. The research has a practical implication on the health policy makers and government administrators in Sri Lanka to improve the health and performance of the government doctors in the country through evidence-based stress minimisation interventions. The following research may include additional districts or the comparison of the private and government doctors.