Stress and coping strategies in the emergency room

The main goal of the present study was to examine how levels of perceived stress reported by emergency physicians vary depending on the type of coping style. Seventy physicians working in four emergency departments in Northern Italy were administered two questionnaires measuring perceived levels of work related stress and habitual use of different coping styles. Results show that emergency physicians reported to rely on task-oriented coping more than on emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping. Furthermore, coping styles were significant predictors of perceived stress. Specifically, after controlling for age and gender, task- and avoidance-oriented coping styles were predictors of less work related stress, while emotion-oriented coping was associated with higher levels of stress. The implications are discussed.