STRESS AND ANXIETY IN RADIOLOGY

Abstract

Work-related stress is one of the biggest causes of occupational diseases in the world. Occupational
stress and fatigue in radiological practice are manifested in a number of different forms, including visual
fatigue, decision fatigue, physiological stress, and emotional stress. There is a lack of studies on the
impact of stress and its consequences on physical and mental health in radiology. Anxiety during
radiological examinations is in fact a primary psychological adaptation to conditions that our body
considers foreign and potentially dangerous. For radiologists, the prevention of stress and burnout
syndrome at work is extremely important because of their overall satisfaction, which is manifested in
providing optimal results and patient care. It is a fact that patients feel physical manifestations of anxiety
during radiological examinations. Anxiety is created by the fear of diagnosis, waiting for the results, but
also by the examination search process itself. Throughout the process, the task of every radiological
technologist is to further inform and educate about the problems in this domain in order to conduct a
radiological examination. This will ultimately lead to less patient anxiety during the radiological
procedure, regardless of its method. The objective of this review article is to analyze work circumstances
recognized by radiologists as contributing to the development of stress and to present anxiety in
radiology with a focus on patient anxiety during radiological examinations.