Levels of Workplace-Associated Stress and Depression in Iraqi Community Pharmacists: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54133/ajms.v8i2.1858Keywords:
Community pharmacists, Community pharmacy, Perceived stress, DepressionAbstract
Background: Community pharmacists endure significantly elevated levels of work-related stress and depression, posing a threat to their overall well-being and possibly affecting the quality of patient care. Objectives: To explore workplace-associated stress and depression in Iraqi community pharmacists. Methods: This observational study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. Information was gathered through the utilization of an internet-based survey. The study involved a community pharmacist with a minimum of one year of experience working at community pharmacies. The survey utilized pre-validated questionnaires. The level of stress experienced was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)-10, while the level of depression was assessed using the Patient's Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. Results: The study included a total of 251 community pharmacists, with the majority being female (62.2%). The average score of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)-10 is 21±5.86, suggesting that perceived stress levels are generally moderate to low. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 results showed that the average total scores for the individuals were 10.41±4.801, indicating a moderate state of depression. The only characteristic that is adversely linked to work-related stress in community pharmacy is the age of community pharmacists. In addition, there is a negative association between age, work experience, educational level, and the level of depression. Conclusions: Community pharmacists are experiencing a moderate amount of perceived stress along with moderate depression symptoms. The current study found that age was inversely connected with both stress and depression, meaning that as age increased, levels of stress and despair tended to decrease.
Downloads
References
Hedima EW, Adeyemi MS, Ikunaiye NY. Community pharmacists: On the frontline of health service against COVID-19 in LMICs. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021;17(1):1964-1966. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.04.013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.04.013
Pappa S, Ntella V, Giannakas T, Giannakoulis VG, Papoutsi E, Katsaounou P. Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain Behav Immun. 2020;88:901-907. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.026
Nearly three-quarters of pharmacy staff considered leaving profession in the past year, finds RPS survey. Pharm J. 2023; doi: 10.1211/PJ.2023.1.171850. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1211/PJ.2023.1.171850
Samir AlKudsi Z, Hany Kamel N, El-Awaisi A, Shraim M, Saffouh El Hajj M. Mental health, burnout and resilience in community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Saudi Pharm J. 2022 Jul 1;30(7):1009–1017. doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2022.04.015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2022.04.015
Balayssac D, Pereira B, Virot J, Lambert C, Collin A, Alapini D, et al. Work-related stress, associated comorbidities and stress causes in French community pharmacies: a nationwide cross-sectional study. PeerJ. 2017;5(10):e3973. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3973.
Jacobs S, Hassell K, Ashcroft D, Johnson S, O’Connor E. Workplace stress in community pharmacies in England: Associations with individual, organizational and job characteristics. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2014;19(1):27–33. doi: 10.1177/1355819613500043. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1355819613500043
Gidman WK. What are the causes of work related stress in community pharmacy? Int J Pharm Pract. 2010;17(Supplement_1):A17–22. doi: 10.1211/096176709787640661. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1211/096176709787640661
Balayssac D, Pereira B, Virot J, Lambert C, Collin A, Alapini D, et al. Work-related stress, associated comorbidities and stress causes in French community pharmacies: A nationwide cross-sectional study. PeerJ. 2017;2017(10). doi: 10.7717/peerj.3973. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3973
Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983;24(4):385. doi: 10.2307/2136404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404
Martin A, Rief W, Klaiberg A, Braehler E. Validity of the brief patient health questionnaire mood scale (PHQ-9) in the general population. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2006;28(1):71–77. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2005.07.003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2005.07.003
Johnson SJ, O’Connor EM, Jacobs S, Hassell K, Ashcroft DM. The relationships among work stress, strain and self-reported errors in UK community pharmacy. Res Soc Adm Pharm. 2014;10(6):885–895. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.12.003. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.12.003
McCann L, Hughes CM, Adair CG, Cardwell C. Assessing job satisfaction and stress among pharmacists in Northern Ireland. Pharm World Sci. 2009;31(2):188–194. doi: 10.1007/s11096-008-9277-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-008-9277-5
Rens E, Van den Broeck K, Foulon V, Ghijselings A, Damiaens A. The community pharmacist as a link to psychosocial care services: Findings and lessons from a collaborative project. Res Soc Adm Pharm. 2024;20(9). doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.06.009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.06.009
Munger MA, Gordon E, Hartman J, Vincent K, Feehan M. Community pharmacists’ occupational satisfaction and stress: A profession in jeopardy? J Am Pharm Assoc. 2013;53(3):282–296. doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2013.12158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1331/JAPhA.2013.12158
Yosif TH, Ali AS, Mikhael EM, Mohammed SI. Evaluating stress level and its effect on the quality of life among pharmacists working in Baghdad teaching hospitals. Al-Rafidain J Med Sci. 2025;8(1):92-96. doi: 10.54133/ajms.v8i1.1661. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54133/ajms.v8i1.1661
Condinho M, Ramalhinho I, Vaz-Velho C, Sinogas C. Mental health evaluation in community pharmacies—A cross-sectional study. Pharmacy. 2024;12(3):89. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy12030089. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy12030089
Alshorman DZ, Bazzari AH, Bazzari FH. Comprehensive assessment of demographic and occupational factors influencing burnout amongst community pharmacists in Jordan. Pharmacia. 2024;71:1–9. doi: 10.3897/pharmacia.71.e123247. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/pharmacia.71.e123247
Ek E, Sirviö A, Koiranen M, Taanila A. Psychological well-being, job strain and education among young finnish precarious employees. Soc Indic Res. 2014;115(3):1057–1069. doi: 10.1007/s11205-013-0263-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0263-5
Gernant SA, Nigro SC, Cruess DG, Smith M, Rickles NM. Age, gender, and setting’s effect on community pharmacists’ stress and confidence in the COVID-19 pandemic. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. 2023;9:100239. doi: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100239. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100239
Khalil H, Liu C, Karimi L, Ferrier JA, Liang Z, Leggat S. General wellbeing and work impacts among community pharmacists during crisis management. Aust J Prim Health. 2022;29(1):56–63. doi:10.1071/PY22007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/PY22007
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Al-Rafidain Journal of Medical Sciences ( ISSN 2789-3219 )
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Published by Al-Rafidain University College. This is an open access journal issued under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
