title: Stress-coping strategies among medical residents in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional national study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maladaptive stress-coping strategies have been linked to reduced quality of life, psychiatric disorders, and reduced work performance among residents or physicians. This study aimed to examine stress-coping strategies among medical residents in Saudi Arabia and their association with stress levels and important personal characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and October 2012. Residents of different specialties were recruited from a national database. Stress-coping strategies were assessed using the 28-item brief coping scale (BCS), while stress was assessed using the perceived stress scale (PSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine hundred seventeen residents completed both BCS and PSS assessments. Almost 55% of participants were males, 88% were Saudi, 58% were married, and 15% had positive history of psychiatric disorders. The adaptive stress-coping strategy with the highest score was religion, followed by planning, acceptance, and active coping. The maladaptive stress-coping strategy with the highest score was self-blame, followed by self-distraction, and venting. Maladaptive stress-coping strategies were associated with high stress level, female gender, and history of psychiatric disorders. Stress-coping strategies were not correlated/associated with age, presence of major medical illnesses, or stress management education/training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adaptive stress-coping strategies were more frequently used among a sample of residents in Saudi Arabia than maladaptive stress-coping strategies, with higher use of religion in coping than previously reported. To avoid potential negative impact on resident well-being, future studies among residents should aim to identify the type of stress management program that most positively impacts stress-coping skills.
authors.affiliation: Fahad D Alosaimi, MD. Assistant Professor of King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA. Psychiatry & Psychosomatic Medicine Consultant, Psychiatry Dept. # 55, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Fahad D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Alosaimi
authors.affiliation: Aroba Almufleh, Psychiatry Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Auroabah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almufleh
authors.affiliation: Sana Kazim, Psychiatry Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazim
authors.affiliation: Bandar Aladwani, Psychiatry Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Bandar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aladwani
keywords: Brief COPE; Coping; Perceived stress scale; Residents; Saudi Arabia; Stress