Abstract Background: Workplace stress among healthcare professionals represents a critical organizational and public health concern, particularly in high-acuity academic medical centers. Persistent occupational stress may adversely affect staff well-being, productivity, and patient safety outcomes. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of perceived workplace stress and examine its association with demographic and occupational characteristics among healthcare staff at a tertiary academic institution in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 450 healthcare professionals participated (response rate: 72.6%). Data were collected using a structured electronic questionnaire incorporating the validated Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Stress levels were categorized as low (0–13), moderate (14–26), and high (27–40) according to the established scoring guidelines. Demographic and occupational variables included age, gender, job position, and employment duration. Associations were assessed using the Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis. Statistical significance was set at P 0.05). The internal consistency of the PSS-10 in this cohort was high (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87). Conclusion: Nearly half of healthcare professionals in this academic medical center experience moderate-to-high perceived stress. Younger staff and those with shorter employment duration appear particularly vulnerable. The absence of significant differences across professional roles suggests shared institutional stressors. Targeted early-career mentorship, workload optimization, and organizational resilience strategies are recommended to mitigate occupational stress and enhance workforce sustainability.
Alfahed et al. (2026) studied this question.