Occupational stress: Level, causes, effect and coping strategies based on demographic characteristics among drugs and substance abuse rehabilitation counsellors in selected Counties of Kenya

Abstract

Occupational stress is a common phenomenon among drugs and substance abuse rehabilitation counsellors. Though occupational stress and coping strategies have received increased attention, apparently the current level of attention attributed to level, causes, effects and coping strategies among drugs and substance abuse rehabilitation counsellors still remains a point of concern. This study therefore sought to establish the level, causes, effects of occupational stress and coping strategies among rehabilitation counsellors working in drugs and substance abuse rehabilitation centres in selected counties in Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study population comprised of 204 rehabilitation counsellors who were drawn from 44 drugs and substance abuse centres that are distributed in 14 counties in Kenya. Simple random sampling technique was used to select five counties that participated in the study and all counsellors and administrators in the five counties formed the sampled population. A total of 112 (85%) drugs and substance abuse rehabilitation counsellors completed the occupational stress questionnaire and 13 administrators were interviewed in five counties. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation and percentages) were used to analyse the data. A two way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance and determine whether to reject or accept the study hypotheses. All tests were based on the 0.05 level of significance. The data was analysed using a computer programme, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0. An analysis of the findings indicated significant difference in the level of occupational stress across age, marital status and educational level of the rehabilitation counsellors who participated in this study. Furthermore, causes of occupational stress were found to be workload, clients’, organisational and interpersonal demands. Analysis of the findings indicated that the causes of occupational stress varied according to age. The findings revealed that there existed significant difference in the effects of occupational stress across gender, marital status and educational level of the rehabilitation counsellors who participated in this study. The study established that a significant difference existed in the coping strategies across gender, marital status and experience of the rehabilitation counsellors who participated in this study. From the findings of the study, it was recommended that regular assessment of occupational stress for preventive measures be done among substance abuse rehabilitation counsellors in order to manage and treat the increasingly complex needs of clients.