Predisposing Factors
Predisposing factors are factors that cause behaviors related to stress
control, and in other words, they precede behavior.
Personal Context: Personal potentials that can have a reducing
or increasing role in stress. People’s confidence in their own abilities
to perform job duties and overcome psychological pressure was identified
as a personal context in stress control. Furthermore, it was found that
when HCWs realize that they are useful and valuable people for providing
the health of others and consider their job valuable, they experience a
good and energizing feeling. A HCW believed:
Everything starts with us… I am the one who has to determine
whether this screening is positive or not, I am the one who determines
whether this child has a developmental disorder or not. This is very
enjoyable…, that is, I am important. It even becomes clear that
my negligence may have worse consequences. (P6)
According to the participants, for some HCWs it was very significant for
their efforts to be seen by supervisors and others, and not paying
attention to this issue was considered annoying and indifference to
them.
On the other hand, HCW’s attitude towards monitoring can be an effective
or a hindrance factor for managing workplace-related stressors. One of
the participants in the focus group said:
A midwife should follow up on a high-risk pregnant mother. It is a very
sensitive task. If you are not careful, it will end at the cost of the
life of the mother and her child. In these situations, monitoring and
pressure from the organization is necessary….. (P21)
Awareness of Occupational Stress: HCWs believed that awareness
of stress and its causes helps them to perform better in stressful
situations. A HCW commented on how awareness can help reduce stress:
When my colleague gets angry, I know why she is angry, this makes my
stress go down. (P6)
Attitudes towards Occupational Stress: Identifying employees’
attitude towards workplace stress is essential for effective
interventions and creating stress-controlling behaviors in the
workplace. Some HCWs believed that the organization is the cause of
workplace stress, while others pointed to the importance of the
individual’s role. Some participants believed that stress can be
controlled. They considered their role as necessary to prevent the
physical and mental effects of stress. On the contrary, some
participants believed that their stress is involuntary and they cannot
control it. A HCW who experienced a lot of stress at work believed:
Maybe it’s my fault that I can’t control my stress, maybe I get
obsessive compulsive. [P8]
Stress Coping Strategies: Individual strategies are used to
reduce tension and achieve peace in facing stressful situations and
factors. Some participants did strategies such as exercising, traveling,
listening to music, and reading personal development books to reduce
stress. Other strategies were used to solve problems caused by job and
workplace and were perceived as very useful, such as being flexible with
clients, changing work style, increasing recognition of colleagues and
superiors. One of the HCWs said about the importance of coping with
stress:
When I prioritize improving a job weakness, my stress goes down. (P4)
HCWs sometimes had emotional self-control to cope with workplace stress.
For instance, using spirituality, positive self-talk, keeping silent in
front of unpleasant behaviors, changing the mood with funny topics.
On the other hand, some HCWs had maladaptive strategies to reduce
pressure, such as negative reaction to job performance, selective
performance of tasks, anger, mental conflict, taking medicine, and
finally, desire to change jobs. One of the supervisors said about the
reaction of HCWs when faced with high work pressure:
When they are under pressure, they do a part of the work and leave the
rest. (FGH)