Investigation of the Stress Level of Physician Faculty Members and Residents of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, Regarding Breaking Bad News to Patients

The breaking bad news (BBN) is one of the most difficult duties of physicians, which can be very stressful and, as a result, has adverse effects on relationship between the physician and the patient. As the stress of BBN to the patient can disrupt the physician's performance, in this study, we aimed to investigate the stress of faculty members and residents of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Iran, regarding the BBN to the patients and stress coping strategies. In this cross-sectional study, 334 faculty members and residents of IUMS were investigated. Demographic and occupational data and perceived stress levels were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Furthermore, the investigation of stress coping strategies was performed using the Endler and Parker questionnaire. During the BBN, 76 participants (22.8%) experienced sweating, 64 subjects (19.2%) tremor, and 159 (47.6%) faced palpitations. The mean score of perceived stress in women (2.96 ± 1.05) was significantly higher than men (2.64 ± 1.10) (P = 0.006). Regarding stress coping strategies during BBN to patients, 107 participants (32%) used the problem-focused coping, 48 (14.4%) used meaning-focused coping, and 179 subjects (53.6%) used the emotion-focused coping. Many physicians get stress during BBN to patients, which most common associated symptom is palpitations. Regarding stress coping strategies, management of stressful situations using the emotion-focused coping is the most commonly used strategy by physicians during BBN to patients that is also associated with less stress.