Work Stress, Symptoms of Anxiety, and Psychological Well-Being Among Chinese Medical Staff: Basis for Mental Health Program Development

Medical staff play a vital role in healthcare but face tremendous work pressure in China. This study examined the current levels of work stress, anxiety, and psychological well-being among Chinese medical staff and determined the relationship between these variables. A total of 593 Chinese medical staff were randomly selected for this study, and correlation analysis was conducted on the collected data. The results showed that age, marital status, leadership role, professional title, work environment, income level, and family responsibilities significantly affected the work stress, psychological well-being, and anxiety symptoms of medical staff. Work stress is negatively correlated with psychological well-being, positively correlated with anxiety, and psychological well-being is negatively correlated with anxiety. Additionally, psychological well-being has a small yet significant mediating effect on the relationship between work stress and anxiety, highlighting its importance in explaining this association. Improving psychological well-being may serve as an effective strategy for reducing anxiety. Since work stress has a significant direct impact on anxiety, hospitals and healthcare organizations can effectively mitigate anxiety levels by improving the working environment and addressing work stress among medical staff. From the results of the study, the researcher designed a mental health program aimed to reduce medical staff work stress and enhance their psychological well-being, ultimately promoting better life functioning and enhanced patient care.