Which working conditions are linked to anxiety, depression, and stress among community pharmacists in Jordan?

Details

Mental-health burdens among pharmacists are a growing concern worldwide, but data from Jordan remain sparse. This study aimed to quantify anxiety, depression, and perceived stress among Jordanian community pharmacists and identify potentially modifiable occupational determinants of these outcomes.

In this cross-sectional study, research pharmacists used convenience sampling, approaching licensed community pharmacists in their residential areas in person and sharing a validated questionnaire through a Google Forms survey link. Validated Arabic versions of GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PSS-10 assessed anxiety, depression, and stress, respectively. Independent variables included demographic and occupational characteristics, perceived stigma, and the adequacy of benefits. Quantile regression was used to explore factors associated with GAD-7, PHQ-9, and PSS-10 scores.

The study included 391 pharmacists; 73.4% were female, and the median age was 29 years. Median scores, with interquartile ranges (IQRs), were GAD-7: 9 (6–11), PHQ-9: 10 (8–13), and PSS-10: 17 (14–19). The most common severity categories were mild anxiety (46.3%), moderate depression (40.4%), and moderate stress (77.7%).

Higher unadjusted symptom ratings were associated with fixed overtime, night or rotating shifts, inadequate benefits, and doctoral (PhD) training (all p < 0.05). In contrast, higher patient throughput was inversely associated with scores on all three scales (ρ = –0.15 to −0.21, p < 0.01). In fully adjusted models, each additional year of age was associated with a 0.11-point higher median GAD-7 score (β = 0.113, 95% CI 0.035–0.192), while each additional patient was associated with a 0.011-point lower median PHQ-9 score and a 0.012-point lower median PSS-10 score (both p = 0.001).

The authors concluded that the Jordanian community pharmacists in this study experienced mild-to-moderate anxiety, depression, and stress. They suggested that high patient flow may protect against financial instability and enhance professional engagement, and identified older age, night or rotating shifts, frequent overtime, inadequate benefits, and perceived stigma as factors associated with worse symptoms; the proposed benefits of high patient flow are an interpretation, not an established causal explanation.