The objective of this study was to investigate the level of stress and the triggers of stress in public officials who deal with people receiving assistance from the Instituto Nacional de Seguro Social in Campo Grande (MS) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The sample (n=42) was predominantly made up of women (73.8%), with an average age of 46. For the collection of data, three tools were used: Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms for adults, the Social Adjustment Scale and the Inventory of Irrational Beliefs. The results of the Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms showed that 61.9% of the workers were stressed, of which 85% were in the resistance phase. The most frequent external stress triggers related to the family, changes in environment, loss of public support, work, finances and personal difficulties. The data were interpreted in favor of the hypothesis that both irrational beliefs and external triggers are significant sources of stress.
Stress; Public sector; Burnout, professional
