,
Esther Dina Bell,
Marie Josiane Ntsama Essomba,
Veronique Batoum Mboua,
Etienne Atenguena,
Dominique Anaba,
Anne Sango,
Ruth Mapenya,
Anne Marthe Maison,
Sidonie Ananga,
Ambroise Ntama,
Zacharie Sando,
Olga Bassong Mankollo,
Julienne Ngo Likeng
Introduction: Healthcare professionals working in oncology are exposed to intense and constant stressors, given the severity of the diseases and frequent confrontation with patient death, which can lead to significant psychological distress and professional burnout. This study's objective was to identify the sociodemographic, social, and work-related determinants contributing to this distress among the nursing staff in the medical oncology department of the Yaoundé General Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted from July to December 2017 in a reference medical oncology unit in Cameroon. The study population comprised the entire nursing and medical staff of the department. A non-probability, exhaustive sampling method was used, resulting in seventeen healthcare workers (13 women, 4 men; 10 nurses, 7 doctors) participating. Data were collected through audio-recorded individual semi-structured interviews and subsequently analyzed using manual content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed that psychological distress is a multifaceted issue driven by three main categories of determinants. Sociodemographic factors identified as sources of pressure included female gender, place of residence (linked to long commutes and traffic stress), family pressure, and personal/financial difficulties. Social factors highlighted varying coping strategies, from prayer and communication to emotional detachment (disconnection/splitting) in the face of patient suffering and death. Work-related environmental determinants were found to be the primary cause of distress, unanimously described by staff. These organizational factors included an unbearably heavy workload due to understaffing, stress from managing patient pain and death (often reduced to administrative tasks), difficult interprofessional communication between nurses and doctors, a severe lack of continuous professional training, and a complete absence of gratification or recognition from management. Conclusion: Psychological distress among oncology healthcare professionals is strongly associated with sociodemographic, social, and, critically, pervasive work-related environmental determinants. The heavy and poorly managed workload, coupled with a lack of institutional support, training, and recognition, are major sources of suffering that require urgent attention from hospital administrators to mitigate psychosocial risks.
| Published in | Cancer Research Journal (Volume 13, Issue 4) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11 |
| Page(s) | 152-158 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Determinants, Psychological Distress, Healthcare Workers, Oncology, Yaounde General Hospital
| [1] | Blanchard P, Truchot D, Albiges-Sauvin L, et al. Prevalence and causes of burnout amongst oncology residents: a comprehensive nationwide cross-sectional study. Eur J Cancer. 2010 Oct; 46(15): 2708-15. |
| [2] | Dzeng E, Colaianni A, Roland M, et al. Moral Distress Amongst American Physician Trainees Regarding Futile Treatments at the End of Life: A Qualitative Study. J Gen Intern Med. 2016 Jan; 31(1): 93-99. |
| [3] | Eelen S, Bauwens S, Baillon C, et al. The prevalence of burn-out among oncology professionals: Oncologists are at risk of developing burn-out. Psychooncology. 2014 Dec; 23(12): 1415-22. |
| [4] | Hanafelt T, Dyrbye L. Oncologist burnout: Causes, consequences, and responses. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Apr 10; 30(11): 1235-41. |
| [5] | Boissières F. Les soignants face au stress: Soigner et accompagner. Prendre soin de soi. Rueil-Malmaison: Lamarre; 2002. |
| [6] | Borteyrou X, Truchot D, Rascle N. Le stress chez le personnel travaillant en oncologie: Une tentative de classification des stratégies de coping. Psychol Travail Organ. 2009 Dec; 15(4): 380-98. |
| [7] | Abernethy AP, Grubbs SS. Managing cumulative expectations in oncology: Challenges and potential solutions. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2014; 34: e140-4. |
| [8] | Barbier D. Le syndrome d’épuisement professionnel du soignant. Presse Med. 2004 Mar 27; 33(6): 394-9. |
| [9] | Canouï P, Mauranges A, Florentin A. Le syndrome d’épuisement professionnel des soignants: De l’analyse du burn-out aux réponses (2nd ed.). Paris: Masson; 2001. |
| [10] | Embriaco N, Azoulay E, Barrau K, et al. High level of burn-out in intensivists: prevalence and associated factors. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007 Mar 15; 175(7): 686-92. |
| [11] | Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer Publishing Company; 1984. |
| [12] | Colombat P, Altmeyer A, Rodrigues M, et al. Management et souffrance des soignants en oncohématologie. Psycho-Oncologie. 2011; 5(2): 83-91. |
| [13] | Uznadze DN. The Psychology of Set. New York: Consultants Bureau; 1966. |
| [14] | Bardin L. L’analyse de contenu (9th ed.). Paris: Presses universitaires de France; 1998. |
| [15] | Bourdeaut F. Les émotions dans la relation de soin: Des racines de leur répression aux enjeux de leur expression. Éthique Santé. 2006 Sep; 3(3): 133-7. |
| [16] | Rufin F. La communication. Rev Infirmière. 2013 Mar; 189: 19-21. |
| [17] | Fouquet C, Brédart A, Bouleuc C. Coping des patients atteints de cancer en phase palliative et communication médicale. Bull Cancer (Paris). 2013 Sep; 100(9): 887-95. |
APA Style
Mapoko, B. S. E., Bell, E. D., Essomba, M. J. N., Mboua, V. B., Atenguena, E., et al. (2025). Determinants of Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers in a Reference Medical Oncology Unit in Cameroon. Cancer Research Journal, 13(4), 152-158. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11
ACS Style
Mapoko, B. S. E.; Bell, E. D.; Essomba, M. J. N.; Mboua, V. B.; Atenguena, E., et al. Determinants of Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers in a Reference Medical Oncology Unit in Cameroon. Cancer Res. J. 2025, 13(4), 152-158. doi: 10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11
Share This Article
Twitter
Linked In
Facebook
Copy
Download@article{10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11,
author = {Berthe Sabine Esson Mapoko and Esther Dina Bell and Marie Josiane Ntsama Essomba and Veronique Batoum Mboua and Etienne Atenguena and Dominique Anaba and Anne Sango and Ruth Mapenya and Anne Marthe Maison and Sidonie Ananga and Ambroise Ntama and Zacharie Sando and Olga Bassong Mankollo and Julienne Ngo Likeng},
title = {Determinants of Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers in a Reference Medical Oncology Unit in Cameroon
},
journal = {Cancer Research Journal},
volume = {13},
number = {4},
pages = {152-158},
doi = {10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.crj.20251304.11},
abstract = {Introduction: Healthcare professionals working in oncology are exposed to intense and constant stressors, given the severity of the diseases and frequent confrontation with patient death, which can lead to significant psychological distress and professional burnout. This study's objective was to identify the sociodemographic, social, and work-related determinants contributing to this distress among the nursing staff in the medical oncology department of the Yaoundé General Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted from July to December 2017 in a reference medical oncology unit in Cameroon. The study population comprised the entire nursing and medical staff of the department. A non-probability, exhaustive sampling method was used, resulting in seventeen healthcare workers (13 women, 4 men; 10 nurses, 7 doctors) participating. Data were collected through audio-recorded individual semi-structured interviews and subsequently analyzed using manual content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed that psychological distress is a multifaceted issue driven by three main categories of determinants. Sociodemographic factors identified as sources of pressure included female gender, place of residence (linked to long commutes and traffic stress), family pressure, and personal/financial difficulties. Social factors highlighted varying coping strategies, from prayer and communication to emotional detachment (disconnection/splitting) in the face of patient suffering and death. Work-related environmental determinants were found to be the primary cause of distress, unanimously described by staff. These organizational factors included an unbearably heavy workload due to understaffing, stress from managing patient pain and death (often reduced to administrative tasks), difficult interprofessional communication between nurses and doctors, a severe lack of continuous professional training, and a complete absence of gratification or recognition from management. Conclusion: Psychological distress among oncology healthcare professionals is strongly associated with sociodemographic, social, and, critically, pervasive work-related environmental determinants. The heavy and poorly managed workload, coupled with a lack of institutional support, training, and recognition, are major sources of suffering that require urgent attention from hospital administrators to mitigate psychosocial risks.
},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Determinants of Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers in a Reference Medical Oncology Unit in Cameroon AU - Berthe Sabine Esson Mapoko AU - Esther Dina Bell AU - Marie Josiane Ntsama Essomba AU - Veronique Batoum Mboua AU - Etienne Atenguena AU - Dominique Anaba AU - Anne Sango AU - Ruth Mapenya AU - Anne Marthe Maison AU - Sidonie Ananga AU - Ambroise Ntama AU - Zacharie Sando AU - Olga Bassong Mankollo AU - Julienne Ngo Likeng Y1 - 2025/10/30 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11 DO - 10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11 T2 - Cancer Research Journal JF - Cancer Research Journal JO - Cancer Research Journal SP - 152 EP - 158 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-8214 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.crj.20251304.11 AB - Introduction: Healthcare professionals working in oncology are exposed to intense and constant stressors, given the severity of the diseases and frequent confrontation with patient death, which can lead to significant psychological distress and professional burnout. This study's objective was to identify the sociodemographic, social, and work-related determinants contributing to this distress among the nursing staff in the medical oncology department of the Yaoundé General Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted from July to December 2017 in a reference medical oncology unit in Cameroon. The study population comprised the entire nursing and medical staff of the department. A non-probability, exhaustive sampling method was used, resulting in seventeen healthcare workers (13 women, 4 men; 10 nurses, 7 doctors) participating. Data were collected through audio-recorded individual semi-structured interviews and subsequently analyzed using manual content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed that psychological distress is a multifaceted issue driven by three main categories of determinants. Sociodemographic factors identified as sources of pressure included female gender, place of residence (linked to long commutes and traffic stress), family pressure, and personal/financial difficulties. Social factors highlighted varying coping strategies, from prayer and communication to emotional detachment (disconnection/splitting) in the face of patient suffering and death. Work-related environmental determinants were found to be the primary cause of distress, unanimously described by staff. These organizational factors included an unbearably heavy workload due to understaffing, stress from managing patient pain and death (often reduced to administrative tasks), difficult interprofessional communication between nurses and doctors, a severe lack of continuous professional training, and a complete absence of gratification or recognition from management. Conclusion: Psychological distress among oncology healthcare professionals is strongly associated with sociodemographic, social, and, critically, pervasive work-related environmental determinants. The heavy and poorly managed workload, coupled with a lack of institutional support, training, and recognition, are major sources of suffering that require urgent attention from hospital administrators to mitigate psychosocial risks. VL - 13 IS - 4 ER -
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
School of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaounde, Cameroon
School of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaounde, Cameroon
Information