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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 8
Publication Date: August 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.108.13192.
Ouyi, B., & Avogan, Y. A. (2023). Balance of Family Life and Professional Life and Stress Among Caregivers. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 10(8). 198-209.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Balance of Family Life and Professional Life and Stress Among
Caregivers
Ouyi, Badji
Applied Psychology Department,
Faculty of Human and Social Sciences (FSHS) University of LOME, TOGO
Avogan, Yaovi Alexandre
Lomé, TOGO
ABSTRACT
The study in this paper was carried out on the health workers of the CHR-Tsévié in
Togo, and involves two main variables: work-life balance and stress at work. The
purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of the reconciliation of spheres on
stress by using reconciliation measures as a moderating effect. Data were collected
from 107 individuals regardless of gender, using a questionnaire. They were then
processed using Excel and SPSS. Our results confirm the relationship between
work-life balance and stress among the caregivers of the Regional Hospital Center
of Tsévié. (r=0.192; p = 0.048 < 0.05). Therefore, we will argue that a better
organization in terms of reconciling the two spheres of life (family and
professional) will make it possible to reduce the suffering linked to stress among
caregivers.
Keywords: Balance, work-family life, stress
INTRODUCTION
Several studies in recent years have shown an increase in conflict between professional
demands and family constraints. This conflict is due to the competition between the hours
devoted to family responsibilities and those devoted to working. In addition, this conflict comes
from the stress experienced in their work titles and the way people respond to the demands of
the job title. Finally, this conflict arises from the incompatibility of the qualities and aptitudes
required by the different work titles [1]; [2]; [3]; [4]; [5].
Today, life at work and life outside work no longer tend to be clearly distinguishable from each
other [6]. Thus, the professional and private spheres are more than ever, essential elements to
the organization of social and professional lives. The interweaving of social times seems to be
of the order of "conflicts" to be resolved and "compromises" to be reached. [7].
In an emancipated and modern world, women no longer devote their lives solely to domestic
chores and household activities. Nowadays it is common to see women in active life where
sometimes they occupy high-level positions. However, have they really broken with their first
vocation which is that of wife and mother with their professional occupations?
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Ouyi, B., & Avogan, Y. A. (2023). Balance of Family Life and Professional Life and Stress Among Caregivers. Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 10(8). 198-209.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.108.13192
Research shows that many working parents experience significant stress as they cannot easily
balance family obligations with work demands. Various research pointed out lack of time [8]
and some show that a high proportion of working parents also feel stressed [9] because they
find it difficult to balance their professional and family obligations, due to lack of time. This
observation is all the truer given the intensification of work as well as the current
diversification of forms of employment and working hours [10].
The problem of work-life balance has already been the focus of several studies. However, few
of these studies covered the African context in general and particularly in Togo. The purpose of
this manuscript is to better understand difficulties related to finding the balance between
professional and family lives and the stress it can generate. Furthermore, this manuscript goals
are to propose some relevant courses of action.
For our studies, the following questions were asked: Does work-life balance influence the level
of stress?
Through literature review, we analysed reports that have studied these concepts of works-life
balance and stress at work from observations made in the field. In this manuscript, balance will
be considered as all the means that the individual puts in place to be able to create a
reconciliation between the professional and family spheres of his or her existence. Stress will
be defined as the set of harmful physical and emotional responses that can occur in a situation
of quest for balance between family life and professional life.
At the Regional Hospital Center of Tsévié, we have made several observations among
caregivers. These are the high number of on-call shifts (nights on duty for duty) and the number
of duty hours (from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. please check this it is not right) per agent; emergency
hours and on-call duties due to the high number of cases received. Considering the regular daily
work hours in Togo, which is eight hours, it is obvious that caregivers work over the time limit
set. These agents who are fathers and mothers leave their spouses and children at night for
work while expecting that their children do not miss their education. A nurse even said, and I
quote: “I am often worried about my children when I am on duty. "For this reason, even being
on duty, she will go home around 10 p.m. to check on her children and immediately returning
to work.
We also noticed a high number of requests for leave and support due to family problems, as
well as medical certificates of rest. A large number of temporary permissions are linked to
family errands and parental obligations. There is also a high employee turnover. In addition,
some employees during our interviews complained of non-restorative sleep at night, or even
cases of insomnia. For others, migraines and general fatigue make up their daily lives. These
facts and behaviours have therefore caught our attention as the result of a certain number of
situations of suffering which are only grasped through defenses elaborated by worker agents
[11].
The issue of sustainable economic development is part of a well-defined universal dynamic. The
exercise of professional activity, whether in the formal or informal sector, protects against
precariousness and poverty. However, the individual at some point in his/her life needs to start
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 8, August-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
a family to feel socially responsible; hence the constant quest for balance between these two
spheres of life, which can generate stress when the latter is set in motion.
Faced with this problem, several authors have focused on the one hand on work-life balance,
and on the other hand on stress.
Indeed, In Canada [12], a study was conducted on a representative sample of situation and
category of workers employed in public and private organizations of medium and large size.
The study addressed the issue of balance between family life and professional life. Duxbury et
al., examined the effects of three types of work-life conflict. The three work-life conflicts studied
are: Work overload (having too much to do); interference between work and family, the case of
work conflicts with family; and family-to-work interference, when family needs (such as child
or elder care) interfere with work activities. According to the study, the conflict between work
and family life has increased considerably, particularly in terms of work overload. This suggests
that a higher fraction of workers have more difficulty balancing their roles as employee, parent,
partner in a couple, and caregiver for children, etc. These individuals become exhausted trying
to accomplish. As a result, these employees develop mental health problems [13].
Studies have shown that people who do not have a balance between their work and family life
experience health issues. Some of these health issues are physical health, mental health, stress,
and low satisfaction at work and in family life in general [14]. According to Matthews et al.,
these effects engender [15], absenteeism, high employee turnover, lack of dedication to work,
and low productivity [16]; [17]. Considering these factors, one might think that excessive stress
can be harmful to a normal working individual.
[18] conducted a study on challenges and prospects for improving the performance of Beninese
women within Beninese society. The results showed that the perception of women on the
problem of reconciliation varies according to marital status. The employing companies are
aware of this problem, but they do not have an incentive policy to improve the performance of
women at the professional level.
[19] studied the interference between professional and family roles and showed the reciprocal
incompatibility between these two spheres of life. This incompatibility appears in the form of
role conflict arising from simultaneous and opposing pressures between their family role and
professional lives [20]. [21] attribute the causes of this conflict to multi-role overload (having
too much to do) and work-family interference (work and family conflicts or family needs
interference with professional activities) to deal with this conflict. [22] studied the impact of
career management on the work-life balance of employees in a dual-career couple, The author
of that study evaluated the impact of career management on work-life balance. The research
led to the finding that career management influences the lives of dual career couples. More
specifically, it led to the result that professional promotion influences the balance between
private life and professional life of a dual-career couple. In addition, he shown that geographical
changes, the obligation of professional performance, and continuing education influence the
work-life balance of dual-career couples.
[23] conducted a study with thirty of the professional category of service executives. In his
study, the author emphasizes that the balance between family life and professional life varies