Stress-coping strategies among medical residents in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional national study

Objectives: maladaptive stress-coping strategies have been linked to reduced quality of life, psychiatric disorders, and reduced work performance among residents or physicians. this study aimed to examine stress-coping strategies among medical residents in saudi arabia and their association with stress levels and important personal characteristics. methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted between may and october 2012. residents of different specialties were recruited from a national database. stress-coping strategies were assessed using the 28- item brief coping scale (bcs), while stress was assessed using the perceived stress scale (pss). results: nine hundred seventeen residents completed both bcs and pss assessments. almost 55% of participants were males, 88% were saudi, 58% were married, and 15% had positive history of psychiatric disorders. the adaptive stress-coping strategy with the highest score was religion, followed by planning, acceptance, and active coping. the maladaptive stress-coping strategy with the highest score was self-blame, followed by self-distraction, and venting. maladaptive stress-coping strategies were associated with high stress level, female gender, and history of psychiatric disorders. stress-coping strategies were not correlated/associated with age, presence of major medical illnesses, or stress management education/training. conclusion: adaptive stress-coping strategies were more frequently used among a sample of residents in saudi arabia than maladaptive stress-coping strategies, with higher use of religion in coping than previously reported. to avoid potential negative impact on resident well-being, future studies among residents should aim to identify the type of stress management program that most positively impacts stress-coping skills.