Ekene Agatha Emeka¹, Everister Uloma Akpa², Ebere Lilian Duru³, Sylvia Tochukwu Echendu⁴, Uchechi Williams Akabuogu⁵, Alexander Arinze Mathias⁶, Valentine Chidozie Akwiwu⁷, Esther Ngozi Umeadi⁴, Bede Azudialu⁸, Arinze Anthony Onwuegbuna⁹, Onyeka Chukwudalu Ekwebene¹⁰, Emeka Stephen Edokwe⁴, Eric Chukwudi Ihekwoaba¹¹, Chidinma Theresa Ezidiegwu⁶, Obinna Kenneth Nnabuchi⁶, Onyecherelam Monday Ogelle⁶, Stanley Chigaemezu Egbogu⁶, Hyacinth Tochukwu Eze¹², Kingsley Chidiebere Nwaogu¹³, Michel Chiedu Egbuniwe¹⁴, Johnbosco Emmanuel Mamah¹⁵, Ifeanyichukwu Jude Ofor¹⁶, Chekwube Martin Obianyo¹⁷, Emeka Franklin Okechukwu¹⁸ and George Uchenna Eleje^6,19*

¹Department of Family Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
²Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
³Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria
⁴Department of Paediatrics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria
⁵Department of Paediatrics, Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Nigeria
⁶Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria
⁷Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Nigeria
⁸Department of Family Medicine, Federal Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Nigeria
⁹Department of Ophthalmology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, PMB 5001, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria
¹⁰Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, East Tennessee State University, Johson City, Tennessee, USA
¹¹Department of Surgery, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, PMB 5001, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria
¹²Department of Internal Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
¹³Department of Radiology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria
¹⁴South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Sunderland, UK
¹⁵Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
¹⁶Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu, Nigeria
¹⁷Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, USA
¹⁸Department of Maternal and Child Health, Global Health, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Nigeria
¹⁹Effective Care Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: George Uchenna Eleje, Effective Care Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (Nnewi Campus), P.M.B. 5001, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.

Received: March 06, 2025; Published: April 16, 2025

Abstract

Background: The medical profession is inherently stressful due to the high demands of patient care, time constraints, and administrative responsibilities. In Nigeria, additional factors such as inadequate salaries, poor working conditions, and resource limitations exacerbate stress among medical health practitioners. Understanding stressors, management strategies, and their effectiveness is crucial for developing interventions to support healthcare workers.

Objectives: To assess the common stressors, stress management practices and their effectiveness, and the relationship between socio-demographic factors and stress levels among medical health practitioners in Nigeria.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among medical health practitioners at NAUTH, Nnewi, south-east Nigeria. A two-stage sampling system was used. Data collection was done using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire, and data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 23, SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA).

Results: A total of 200 respondents participated in the study, with 134 (67%) males and 66 (33%) females. Participants included house officers/medical officers (16.5%), resident doctors (30.5%), and consultants (53%). The leading stressors identified were high workload (72%), inadequate salaries (62.5%), and lack of resources (61.5%). A significant majority (87.5%) reported high stress levels, while only 12.5% had low stress. Among socio-demographic factors, medical health practitioners aged 59 to 60 years (p = 0.007), consultants (p = 0.014), and those with 15 to 19 years of experience (p = 0.043) exhibited the highest stress levels. The most effective stress management strategies were relaxation (98%), sleep/rest (96%), and taking leave/vacations (95%), while smoking (9.5%), using pills/medications (10.5%), and denial/self-blame (14%) were the least effective.

Conclusion: Medical health practitioners in Nigeria experience high stress levels due to various workplace challenges. Effective stress management practices, such as relaxation and adequate rest, can help mitigate stress. Structural interventions are necessary to improve working conditions, reduce burnout, and enhance overall job satisfaction among doctors.

 Keywords: Anxiety; Health Care Workers; Medical Doctors; Mental Health; Psychology

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Citation

Citation: George Uchenna Eleje., et al. “Stress Management Practices Among Medical Health Practitioners in Nigeria”.Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 9.4 (2025): 134-144.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 George Uchenna Eleje., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.