Stress and Coping Behavior of Out-patients in Yasothon Province

Abstract

Objective: Due to a current lifestyles that forces people to struggle their lives, we are going to a stage of mind control problems which can lead to stressful conditions. This can cause health and mind problems which contribute to a crime, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, etc. In addition, types of health services play a major role in stress conditions which may be caused by internal and external factors affecting the patients.
Methods: The study aimed to assess the relationship between stress levels and personnel characteristics, especially the evaluation of stress levels in relationship to different health services and other factors. A total of 809 outpatients visited different health care services (e.g., governmental hospital, private hospitals, health care centres, etc) at Yasothon. They were asked to collaborate on this project by filling out a questionnaire survey. The contents of a survey related to volunteers' feeling and stress coping behaviors over the last 2 months after visitng different health care services. This project was conducted from March to June in 2003. The data were analyzed by using SPSS which included; 1) frequency, 2) percentage, 3) mean, 4) standard deviation (S.D.), 5) t-test, 6) Chi-square, 7) Correlation and 8) One-way ANOVA.
Results: The results revealed that most of volunteers had normal stress level (43.1%). When compared between stress levels and the characteristics of economic and social status, we found that gender was not related to statistically significant difference (p>0.05) in stress level. However, other factors including age, education, occupation, and income, related to stress levels were statistically and significant difference (p<0.05). The elderly people had higher levels of stress than middle aged groups. Moreover, different occupations had different levels of stress; farmers had a highest level. People with a higher income had more stress than those with a lower income. Similarly, those who had illnesses had more stress than those who did not have illnesses (p =0.001). Levels of health care services also affected the stress levels; those admitted to private hospital had less stress than those admitted to governmental hospitals. The major causes of stress can be divided into 2 categories: 1) salary status, and 2) health/conflict/personal issues. The main solutions of stress included; 1) finding the causes and solving the problems, 2) entertaining themselves, etc. People who could possibly help stress victims included; lovers, spouses, teachers, and friends.
Conclusion: There is a relation between stress levels and other factors, including: gender, age, educational status, marital status, income, etc. In addition, there are some major causes of stress such as salary, personal issues, and health which can eventually lead to some metal problems. The author suggests that further study should concentrate on wider areas, and not just only Yasothon Province, in order to see the overall picture of stressful situations. The methods of assessing stress levels should be modified in different ways such as creating a standard mental status tool, or introducing a control-study groups. Also, attitude sharing should be conducted within the volunteer group in order to exchange ideas regarding stressful conditions. Thus, the data received will be more adequate and complete. Finally, some external factors which were not able to be controlled in this study, might have effected the results. Therefore, we should limit those factors for the next study.