A Psychological Service Dedicated to Work-Related Stress: the Experience at Perugia General Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The characteristics of the working environment significantly influence the mental well-being of workers, and the presence of unfavorable conditions in the workplace can have a negative impact on mental health. Healthcare professionals are particularly exposed to the risk of burnout and the development of psychiatric, and particularly affective, symptoms. This paper aims to describe the activity of a psychological support service dedicated to work-related stress at the General Hospital of Perugia, Italy.

Subjects and methods: In June 2022, a free and anonymous psychological service dedicated to healthcare professionals was established at the Perugia General Hospital. The main objectives of the service were to promote overall well-being of workers, to provide psychological support, and to address professionals towards specific pathways to care.

Results: The activity of the service consisted of clinical consultations with psychiatrists and psychologists who also administered psychometric tools to better characterize the overall clinical picture. After the clinical evaluation process, healthcare professionals who accessed the service were addressed to specific pathways of care, when needed. The data collection carried out from June 2022 to April 2024 showed a total number of 139 accesses to the Service, with a majority of requests from women (80%) and mainly belonging to nursing staff (53%).

Conclusions: Preliminary data from the psychological service dedicated to healthcare professionals confirms the high prevalence of work-related stress, especially in specific settings. In the near future, psychological support services are expected to identify work-related stress situations as soon possible, possibly contributing to the reduction of stigma and to the built of healthier working environments.

Keywords: burnout - work-related stress - psychological support - healthcare professionals.