Occupational Stress Risk and Its Impact on Job Performance Among Bahraini Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Occupational stress has become increasingly prevalent in the health sector in recent years. This stress poses significant risks, affecting not only the well-being of healthcare workers but also the quality of care patients receive. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of occupational stress among health workers, identify its roots, and examine its effects on productivity. Methods and materials Data were collected through an electronic survey process from several healthcare professionals employed at two governmental hospitals in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The participants were selected through a random sampling approach, targeting healthcare professionals who met specific inclusion criteria. These criteria required the participants to have at least one year of professional experience, work a minimum of 20 hours per week, and be involved in direct patient care. The research team invited eligible participants via email, ensuring the representation of diverse roles, including doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. Excluded roles included administrative staff, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians, who have limited patient interaction. The survey, completed voluntarily and anonymously, included 46 questions that focused on work demographics, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ). Occupational stress and job performance were analyzed as dependent variables, with statistical analysis conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Most of the health workers were found to experience moderate to high levels of occupational stress, with a prevalence rate of 90.2%. Despite this, the majority (63.1%) satisfactorily performed their job duties. Moreover, a significant negative correlation was observed between job performance and occupational stress (r = -0.965). Conclusion This research reveals that occupational stress among Bahraini health workers is high and leads to reduced job performance.