Identifying Stress Factors and Related Coping Mechanisms Among Forensic Pathologists

Forensic pathology is a critical science that bridges medicine and law. A forensic pathologist conducts autopsies to determine the cause and manner of an individual’s death, which is helpful in solving forensic cases and criminal cases and discovering hereditary diseases. They are also responsible for contacting family members or next of kin of the deceased and for presenting their findings or conclusions in court. Although forensic pathology is a vital field in science and law, there is a national deficiency of active forensic pathologists. This may be due to the lack of awareness given to the health and wellness of the workforce, which is at risk in a high stress-inducing work environment. Forensic pathologists are consistently subjected to stress due to overwhelming caseloads and a lack of adequate staffing. While there have been studies conducted in the United States to examine occupational stress and potential coping mechanisms, these reports focus on forensic scientists and not forensic pathologists specifically who may be more likely to develop stress due to their direct work with death. In order to identify what work-related factors cause forensic pathologists the most stress and how have they chosen to cope with their stress, I conducted a survey collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. After completing the study, I identified workload, inadequate staff, dissatisfaction with administration, court processes, and lack of time to complete duties as the most recurring themes of stress, which are supported by the quantitative analysis as well. The coping mechanisms most often mentioned by the participants include exercise, time with family and friends, communicating their stress, complete separation from work, and media use. After identifying these stressor and coping strategies, the participants of the study listed potential practices or programs that could be instated in order to mitigate workplace stress. From this study, suggestions can be made to medical examiner offices that are seeking to improve employee wellness and potentially adopt stress reduction programs in the workplace.