Abstract:

This study investigated the relationship among occupational stress, social relationships at the workplace, and psychological well-being among nurses and midwives in the Catholic Health Service of the Western Region of Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted in four purposely selected Catholic Hospitals in the Western Region of Ghana. A sample of 300 nurses and midwives was used for the analysis. For gathering information from participants, a questionnaire based on the Nurses’ Occupational Stress Scale was adopted to measure the level of occupational stress; Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale (PWB 18 items) to measure the level of psychological well-being, and the Worker Relationship Scale was developed by Biggs, Swailes, and Baker to measure the level of social relationships at the workplace among nurses and midwives. For statistical analysis, a one-sample t-test and Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficients were employed. The findings revealed a high level of occupational stress among nurses and midwives in the Catholic Health Service of the Western Region of Ghana, a positive social relationship among them, and positive psychological well-being among the nurses and midwives. The study’s findings also revealed occupational stress was moderately and weakly associated with psychological well-being and workplace social relationships. Social relationships at the workplace were positively correlated with psychological well-being. It was recommended that Counselling Psychologists should be employed in all health facilities to take care of the counselling needs of nurses and midwives.

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