ИЗТОЧНИЦИ НА СТРЕС И КОПИНГ ПОВЕДЕНИЕ ПРИ ЗДРАВНИ СПЕЦИАЛИСТИ В КОСОВО
SOURCES OF STRESS AND COPING BEHAVIOR AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN KOSOVO

Summary/Abstract: Stress is an inevitable part of the professional life of healthcare professionals, who often work under intense pressure and in critical situations. This challenge is particularly significant for healthcare professionals in Kosovo, who face numerous difficulties related to the post-war process of political, social, and economic changes. The aim of this study is to identify the main sources of work-related stress and coping behaviors among this professional group. Methodology: The study was conducted online among 104 healthcare professionals, including physicians (42.5%), nurses (45.3%), and other healthcare specialists (12.2%), working in various medical institutions in Kosovo. All ethical requirements were met regarding informed consent, voluntary participation, and anonymity. The methods used included: documentary analysis, a direct survey method for collecting sociodemographic data and identifying sources of work-related stress, and the COPE questionnaire (Carver et al., 1989), adapted to the sociocultural environment in Kosovo, for assessing preferred coping strategies. Results: The most significant sources of stress identified by respondents were: workload (76.3%), low wages and inadequate working conditions (72%), staff shortages (56.3%), weaknesses in work organization (54.2%), tensions within the work team (38.3%), dealing with "difficult patients" (34.3%), and insufficient support from management (27.1%). Preferred coping strategies varied depending on job position: nurses tended to seek emotional and social support more frequently, whereas physicians preferred more rational strategies such as active coping and planning. Turning to religion as a coping strategy was common, along with positive reappraisal. The analysis revealed significant correlations between different sources of stress and preferred coping strategies. For example, high workload was positively correlated with avoidance (r = 0.48, p < 0.05). Insufficient support from management was associated with lower levels of active coping (r = -0.36, p < 0.05). Reliance on religion was most pronounced in cases of lack of managerial support (M=3.7) and poor working conditions (M=3.6). These findings suggest that religious coping serves more as a mechanism for emotional support in response to long-term and uncontrollable stressors rather than short-term or organizational difficulties. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals in Kosovo are exposed to numerous stressors. The most commonly used coping strategies include active coping, planning, religious coping, and emotional regulation. The analysis of the relationships between different sources of stress, coping behavior, and certain sociodemographic factors provides a better understanding of the specific needs of this professional group in the context of work-related stress. Recommendations: The provided data should be considered in future studies on this topic, as well as in the development of support programs and training initiatives aimed at enhancing stress management among healthcare professionals.

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