Stress induced by perceived radiological risk among imaging department staff

Introduction Healthcare-workers in medical imaging departments face a variety of professional challenges, including radiological risk, biomechanical constraints, and heavy workload. These cumulative constraints make the staff of these departments particularly vulnerable to stress. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate perceived stress among radiology technicians and evaluate its associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among the staff of a medical imaging department in Sfax in April 2024 during periodic visits. The Perceived-Stress-Scale-10 (PSS-10) questionnaire was used to assess perceived stress. Radiation safety training level (TL), Radiation risk level (RL) and radiation protection level (PL) were auto-evaluated on a scale of 0 to 10. Results Our population consisted of 32 paramedical staff, 80% of whom were radiology technicians. The median age was 37 with an interquartile range (IQR) [36; 43]. The sex ratio was 0.28. The median seniority in the job was 5.5 years IQR [4; 8]. The median TL, RL and PL were 3 IQR [2; 5], 6 IQR [5; 7] and 5 IQR [3; 6] respectively. The mean PSS-10 score was 19.3±4.9. In bivariate analysis, the PSS-10 score was inversely correlated with TL (r=-0.622; p=0.001), RL (r=-0.248; p=0.213) and correlated with PL (r=0.458; p=0.016). Conclusions Periodic visits in occupational medicine are an opportunity to detect perceived stress in this population and to strengthen their knowledge about radiation protection in order to ensure a healthier and safer working environment. Disclosure of Interest None Declared