Occupational stress among Swedish audiologists in clinical practice: Reasons for being stressed

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The present study reports on the application of a Swedish translation of the audiologist occupational stress questionnaire (AOSQ) on audiologists working in Sweden. The relations between AOSQ scores and perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, demographic variables such as salary, education length, practise length, and practice type were tested. DESIGN: A cross-sectional e-mail survey using the AOSQ, effort-reward imbalance questionnaire, and demographic questions. STUDY SAMPLE: Four-hundred and four Swedish licensed audiologists working with clients. RESULTS: The Swedish AOSQ translation demonstrated high inter-item correlations and high internal consistency. Several stress factors were identified: time spent at work, accountability, leadership at the workplace, paperwork and practice demands, equipment and clinical protocols, own health concerns, and job control. The outcome on the complete AOSQ questionnaire was related to perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, and age. CONCLUSIONS: The Swedish AOSQ translation seems to provide a valid measure of occupational stress among audiologists.