Occupational role stress in dual-doctor marriages: A comparison of organizational role stress in doctor-doctor marriages and doctor-non doctor marriages

Abstract

Stress in doctors has major and far reaching effects for the doctors themselves, their family and patients. In dual-doctor marriages, stress may or may not be aggravated. Previous studies have shown that dual doctor marriages can either lead to an aggravation of stress in doctors, or diminish the cumulative stress levels in medical doctors. This study compared the various variables of organizational role stress among doctors who are married to doctors, and those married to non-doctors. A sample of 245 doctors, all married, and all working in the Public Health sector in Goa completed a self-report questionnaire. Role Stress was significantly higher in doctors who were married to doctors than in those married to non-doctors. This significant difference was also reflected in the variables of Role Stagnation, Role Expectation Conflict, Role Overload, Role Isolation, Self Role Distance and Resource Inadequacy. These findings have implications both for the well-being of doctors and their families, and for patient care.