Abstract
Our study focused on the stress of inpatients in university hospitals. We researched the degrees of stress on 328 inpatients during hospitalization under 38 different situations that had been set to help bring out the causes of their stress.
The following four points were found
1) It turned out that inpatients' stress increases when they are :
a) Anxious about whether their hospitalization causes some trouble to their families and friends.
b) Anxious about whether their sickness is serious.
c) Worring about the result of an operation or examination.
2) The study found out that the following eight factors out of 38 situations are the most crucial and important ones :
1st factor : Insufficient information
2st factor : Care and anxiety about their family
3st factor : Physical and chemical environment
4st factor : Relationship with other inpatients in the same room
5st factor : Isolation from other persons
6st factor : Anxiety about their economic situation
7st factor : Dissatisfaction with the treatment by hospital staff
8st factor : Insufficient access to fundamental habit
3) The multi-dimensional scaling method, used for a study on the relationship among the different situations, found that the situation can be roughly divided into two categories : situations that cause inpatients inner stress in relation to their own sickness ; and situations that are mainly connected with the demands of their daily lives.
4) There is a significant difference in stress according to the patient's sex, age and number of days in hospital, when the above eight factors are studied in connection with each patient's personal history and environment.
