Occupational stress and coping mechanisms among Students at Law Development Centre, Kampala

Abstract

This study aimed at establishing the causes of occupational stress and stress coping mechanisms by students at Law Development Centre. The study used descriptive statistics to establish and measure the demographic characteristics of the 100 respondents that is, sex, age, marital status and education level. In order to establish the causes of occupational stress, the study used correlation analysis to measure the extent to which one factor causes an increase in stress at work. It mainly looked at poor working conditions, workload, demands from the job and feeling exhausted at work. The study also utilised frequency tables to measure respondents’ opinions about the different causes, effects and strategies of coping with occupational stress. According to the findings, it was found out that poor working conditions, excess workload, high demands from the job, feeling exhausted at work, the problem of implementing the assigned duties, pressure from other co-workers, are significant causes of occupational stress and if not handled, they can lead to the following. They can result into turnover intensions and actual turnover among workers, persistent headaches, aggressive behaviour among co-workers, regular body pain and reduction in effectiveness in administration. The following are the common strategies used to cope up with occupational stress. Taking advice from other people on what to do, being up the attempt to cope and believing that this has happened.